It has come to the attention of many stakeholders that Mr. Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, the current President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), intends to seek a third term in office—an action that would be in direct conflict with the statutes under which he was first elected.
Article 37(4) of the GFA Statutes (2019), which governs term limits, exists precisely to protect the Association from excessive concentration of power, political interference, and personal entrenchment.
To disregard this provision, or to seek its amendment merely to serve the ambitions of one individual, undermines both the rule of law and the democratic ethos upon which the reformed GFA was built.
This attempt to alter the rules midstream reflects a deliberate effort to entrench personal authority at the expense of institutional stability.
The very legitimacy of the current leadership is rooted in the same statutes it now appears willing to circumvent. Such a manoeuvre cannot be justified on grounds of continuity, representation at CAF or FIFA, or any other personal or strategic ambition.
The GFA is not a vehicle for individual elevation—it is a national institution with responsibilities to the Ghanaian people, the footballing community, and international football law.
On Claims of Political Sponsorship and Alleged NDC Involvement
Equally troubling are unverified claims made by Mr. Okraku himself that elements within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) or the government more broadly are backing his bid to remain in office.
Such allegations, if with merit, are deeply irresponsible. Strangely, the state Broadcasting Agency ( GBC ) publishes on Kurt’s agenda to entrench himself in the seat and does so with twisting facts and telling half-truths, which gives some credence to the claims earlier mentioned.
They risk politicising football governance and introducing partisan interests into a space that must remain independent, neutral, and merit-based.
Football must never become a pawn in party politics. The 2018 dissolution of the GFA following the “Number 12” exposé serves as a stark reminder of the damage that compromised leadership and political entanglement can do to Ghana’s football reputation.
Any individual who suggests or implies that their tenure is backed by political machinery must be asked to produce evidence—or be held accountable for inciting public mistrust and stoking unnecessary political division within the sport.
No political party, including the NDC, should be associated—explicitly or implicitly—with attempts to manipulate football governance.
The Government of Ghana must reaffirm its position of neutrality and disassociate itself from any effort to circumvent the democratic processes enshrined in the GFA’s own constitution.
CONCLUSION
The laws that brought Mr. Okraku to power cannot be ignored simply because they now stand in the way of his ambition. The principle of constitutionalism requires that power be exercised within legal limits, not modified to suit those who hold office.
As a nation, we must insist that sports governance remains transparent, lawful, and insulated from undue political or personal influence.
What Ghanaian football needs now is a leadership transition grounded in merit, fairness, and respect for its own legal frameworks, not one manufactured through manipulation or quiet constitutional change.
Source: Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Ranking, Youth And Sports Committee of Parliament
