Former President Akufo-Addo
A political analyst with the University of Cape Coast, Dr Jonathan Asante Otchere, has said that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will most likely be remembered as the worst former president in Ghana’s history.
According to him, the former president contributed to his own – the New Patriotic Party (NPP) defeat in the 2024 general elections, through his actions and inactions, which Ghanaians bitterly complained about.
Speaking in an interview with Metro TV, Dr Asante Otchere observed that Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is now working hard to distance himself from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“You may recall that I said on your platform that President Akufo-Addo was going to be the worst and most miserable ex-president in this country. This is part of the evidence. I can tell you that the report (Ouaye report) indicts him so strongly that they align with the findings of Global InfoAnalytics, which show that 68% of respondents blame the loss of the NPP on President Akufo-Addo. About thirty-something percent blame Bawumia, and around forty-something percent blame Ken Ofori-Atta.
If you do a cumulation, you will realize that certain individuals dragged the party down from within government. But they don’t want these individuals to be held accountable, because doing so would expose the lingering influence of their political ‘relics.’ That is why Dr. Bawumia is trying to disassociate himself from President Akufo-Addo. In his speeches, he is repositioning himself as a leader in his own right. It is purely a political strategy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has admitted that the previous government, led by former President Akufo-Addo, failed to heed the advice of the party, a failure he acknowledges cost them dearly in the 2024 elections.
Reflecting on the December 7, 2024 elections, Dr. Bawumia indicated that a significant number of people were hurt by some of the government’s unpopular decisions, which substantially damaged the party’s fortunes at the polls.
Addressing party faithful in Takoradi as part of a Thank You tour, the former Vice President said the party has learned the hard way about the consequences of ignoring the concerns of the masses. He cited several factors contributing to their defeat, including the rising cost of living, the arrogance of power, and the controversial debt restructuring program.
“We did not listen. The major issues were the cost of living, arrogance of power, and the debt restructuring program. The party suggested we reshuffle our ministerial portfolios but for eight years, we never did. The party advised against implementing the e-levy, yet we still went ahead. There are about 16 million mobile money users literally, all voters use mobile money.
The party also advised against the implementation of the debt restructuring program, especially since many affected were pensioners. Despite assurances from the President that there would be no haircuts, we failed to honor that promise. Many bondholders were angered. Bondholders account for about eight hundred thousand people and with dependents, at least three or four per person, that affected over two million Ghanaians. Such decisions did not augur well for us,” he explained.
Prez Akufo-Addo is going to be the most miserable ex-President of Ghana and Bawumia is strategically trying to disassociate himself from him – Dr. Jonathan Asante Otchere #GoodAfternoonGhana #MetroTV pic.twitter.com/U4PMPV5dnQ
— Metro TV Ghana (@metrotvgh) April 28, 2025
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