Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has openly criticised several major policy decisions under the Akufo-Addo administration, citing the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), the National Cathedral project, and the Power Distribution Services (PDS) agreement as key factors behind the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) loss in the 2024 general elections.
Speaking on The Delay Show with Deloris Frimpong Manso, Kufuor revealed that he was not consulted on these decisions and admitted he never fully understood the rationale behind them. He noted that the NPP’s 2016 victory was built largely on the achievements of his own administration.
“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.”
The former President specifically highlighted the bond market turbulence, the PDS deal, and the National Cathedral project as decisions he struggled to comprehend. He expressed concern over the demolition of state properties, including judges’ apartments, to make way for the cathedral, which remains incomplete.
“After the COVID-19 pandemic, I could not understand some of the decisions taken, including the bond market issues, PDS, and the National Cathedral project, which has still not been completed,” he said. “I was not consulted, as I did not attend cabinet meetings. I only saw the construction. Apartments that housed judges and others were demolished for the National Cathedral, yet it remains unfinished.”
Reflecting on the party’s electoral journey, Kufuor contrasted the 2016 landslide victory with the tense 2020 election that produced a hung Parliament, and the eventual 2024 defeat.
“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.
