Financial economist and academic Dr Razak Kojo Opoku has questioned calls for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to sideline former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as its public face and campaign figurehead ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Dr Opoku argued that the party can not easily distance itself from the former president without also addressing the legacy of policies and programmes introduced during his administration, particularly the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy.
His comments appear to respond to calls by Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy, a senior NPP figure and former presidential aspirant, who has urged the party to move away from Mr Akufo-Addo as a public brand ahead of the next general elections.
Dr Kennedy has argued that the former president has become a political liability and that his continued prominence in party activities could undermine the NPP’s efforts to rebuild its public image.
He has also called on the party’s leadership to formally apologise to Ghanaians for the economic hardships, governance failures and what he has described as a culture of impunity and arrogance associated with the previous administration.
However, Dr Opoku has challenged the position, suggesting that the party’s assessment of Mr Akufo-Addo should not be driven primarily by personal disagreements.
In his commentary, Dr Opoku questioned why some party members appeared unwilling to move beyond longstanding differences with Mr Akufo-Addo.
He referenced the book Chasing the Elephant into the Bush, published in 2009, to underscore what he described as the prolonged nature of the disagreements surrounding the former president within the NPP.
“It has been 17 years since the publication of the book, ‘Chasing the Elephant into the Bush’, yet it seems you have still not been able to overcome your personal dislike for Nana Akufo-Addo?” he asked.
Dr Opoku argued that the NPP should consider the former president’s overall contribution to the party and the country rather than allowing personal animosities to determine his place in its political future.
He maintained that calls to sideline Mr Akufo-Addo would also raise questions about how the party intends to treat the policies and achievements associated with his eight-year administration.
“NPP can only sideline Nana Akufo-Addo if the Party is prepared to sideline Free SHS and the other positive achievements associated with his government,” he stated.
Dr Opoku specifically cited the Free SHS policy as one of the major initiatives that continue to define Mr Akufo-Addo’s presidency.
Introduced in 2017, the policy was designed to expand access to secondary education by removing tuition and other approved fees for eligible students in public senior high schools.
The programme became one of the flagship policies of the Akufo-Addo administration and remains a prominent part of the former president’s political legacy.
While supporters have highlighted its role in widening access to secondary education, the policy has also attracted debate over funding, infrastructure, congestion and implementation.
Dr Opoku’s argument is that the NPP cannot conveniently separate the former president from the policies implemented under his leadership when assessing his continued relevance to the party.
His position contrasts with Dr Kennedy’s call for the party to distance its public image from Mr Akufo-Addo, particularly as it prepares for the 2028 elections.
The differing views reflect a broader debate within the NPP over how to address the record of its previous administration while determining the party’s leadership, public messaging and political strategy ahead of the next electoral contest.
To support his argument, Dr Opoku referred to former NPP National Chairman Paul Afoko and former General Secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyapong, whom he cited as examples of party figures who, in his view, moved beyond their differences with Mr Akufo-Addo.
“Even Paul Afoko & Kwabena Agyapong let go of their differences with Nana Akufo-Addo,” he stated.
His reference is intended to reinforce his position that disagreements within the party should not necessarily result in the permanent marginalisation of prominent figures.
He also questioned the duration of the opposition to Mr Akufo-Addo among some party members, insisting that the NPP should move beyond personal differences when considering its relationship with the former president.
“17 years of dislike is too much,” he added.
Dr Opoku did not elaborate on the specific circumstances surrounding the relationships between Mr Akufo-Addo and the two former party executives.
However, his comments suggest that he views reconciliation and recognition of past contributions as important considerations in the NPP’s efforts to manage its internal differences.
Mr Akufo-Addo led the NPP to victory in the 2016 and 2020 general elections after unsuccessful presidential bids in 2008 and 2012.
His administration, which governed Ghana from January 2017 to January 2025, introduced several major policy initiatives, including Free SHS, while also facing criticism over economic management, governance and other aspects of its record.
The debate over his continued role in the party therefore involves competing considerations: recognition of his contributions to the NPP’s electoral history and flagship policies, on one hand, and concerns about the political implications of his administration’s record, on the other.
Dr Kennedy’s position is that the party must distance its public identity from the former president and acknowledge the concerns of Ghanaians about his administration.
Dr Opoku, meanwhile, argues that sidelining Mr Akufo-Addo without adequately considering the policies and achievements associated with his government would overlook an important part of the NPP’s political history.
The disagreement comes as the party considers how to position itself ahead of the 2028 general elections, with questions about accountability for its previous administration, internal unity and the role of former leaders likely to remain part of its political discussions.
By 1960news.com
