Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has openly criticised key policy choices made under the Akufo-Addo administration, pointing to the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), the National Cathedral project, and the Power Distribution Services (PDS) deal as major missteps that contributed to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) defeat in the 2024 general elections.
Appearing on The Delay Show with host Deloris Frimpong Manso, Mr Kufuor disclosed that he was neither consulted nor convinced of the rationale behind these initiatives, stressing that he struggled to understand the basis for their implementation.
According to the former President, the NPP’s 2016 election victory was largely built on the achievements of his administration, which formed the foundation of the party’s campaign at the time. However, he said the direction of governance changed after Akufo-Addo assumed power. “Before the 2016 election in which Akufo-Addo was elected, the campaign was built on my achievements,” he said. “Those achievements played a key role in his victory. The government started on a good note, but things changed after he assumed power.”
He cited the bond market challenges, the PDS controversy and the National Cathedral project as policies he found difficult to appreciate.
Mr Kufuor lamented that significant national assets, including residential apartments for judges and other officials, were demolished for the construction of the National Cathedral, which remains unfinished. He said he was not involved in any discussions on the project and only learned about developments through observation.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, former President John Agyekum Kufuor expressed his bewilderment at several policy decisions, citing challenges in the bond market, the PDS debacle, and the stalled National Cathedral project. He noted that he was never consulted on these initiatives, as he did not participate in cabinet meetings and only witnessed the construction firsthand.
He lamented that residential apartments for judges and other officials were demolished to make way for the Cathedral, which remains incomplete. Reflecting on the New Patriotic Party’s electoral trajectory, Mr Kufuor recalled the party’s sweeping victory in 2016, the contentious and inconclusive 2020 elections that resulted in a hung Parliament, and the eventual defeat in 2024.
“We won the 2016 elections by a landslide. The 2020 elections were tense and produced a hung Parliament, and the 2024 elections were something else entirely. This shows that the Ghanaian electorate should never be taken for granted. It is a lesson for politicians to be mindful of their actions,” he warned.
Source: Leticia Osei
