Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has voiced deep concern over what he sees as a lack of recognition and engagement from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the political party he once led to two consecutive electoral victories.
Speaking during a courtesy call by presidential hopeful Bryan Acheampong, the former President lamented a rising culture of neglect within the NPP, particularly toward its founding members and senior figures.
“I don’t understand why my own party, the NPP, has sidelined me,” he said.
Despite his pivotal role in the party’s history, including leading the NPP to power and serving as President of Ghana from 2001 to 2008, Kufuor said he feels deliberately excluded from helping shape the party’s future.
“I’ve been in this party all these years, and I became president for two terms from 2001 to 2008, but the system thinks it’s wise to ignore and sideline me,” Kufuor bemoaned.
A veteran of Ghanaian politics, Kufuor recalled that by 1969 he was already a Member of Parliament and Deputy Foreign Minister under Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia. His long-standing contributions to the party and the country, he suggested, should not be overlooked.
Though he did not mention any names, Kufuor noted with concern that “the party appears to have lost its soul – the values of inclusion, respect, and unity that made us strong are fading.”
His remarks come at a sensitive time for the NPP, which is navigating internal divisions ahead of the 2028 general elections. In recent months, several party stalwarts have expressed unease about growing centralisation of power within a small group surrounding the current leadership.
While careful not to single out individuals, Kufuor warned that sidelining seasoned voices could harm party cohesion and national stability.
Kufuor’s legacy remains significant in Ghana’s political history. In the December 2000 presidential elections, he emerged first in the initial round with 48.4% of the vote, ahead of the late John Atta Mills, who had 44.8%. In the runoff held on 28 December, Kufuor secured victory with 56.9%, marking Ghana’s first peaceful transfer of power to an opposition party.
He was re-elected in 2004, winning 52.45% of the total votes cast.
As a statesman who helped shape the modern identity of the NPP, Kufuor’s words are likely to resonate across the party’s grassroots and leadership alike, potentially prompting reflection on how to better incorporate the party’s founding figures in its future direction.
