Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has criticised several policy decisions under the Akufo-Addo administration, citing the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), the National Cathedral project, and the Power Distribution Services (PDS) deal as factors that contributed to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) loss in the 2024 general elections.
Speaking on The Delay Show hosted by Deloris Frimpong Manso, Mr Kufuor said he never understood the rationale behind these initiatives and revealed that he was not consulted before they were implemented.
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.
“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 NPP’s electoral performance, the former President highlighted the party’s landslide win in 2016, the tense and inconclusive 2020 elections that produced a hung Parliament, and the eventual loss 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.
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