Nsiaba Nana Akwasi Kobi writes….
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s sudden rediscovery of his voice to champion Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s presidential bid is nothing short of laughable, especially considering his prolonged silence during the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) eight-year reign of incompetence and controversy.
As Ghanaians battled economic hardships, widespread corruption, and a suffocating political environment that silenced dissenters within his party, Kuffour maintained an uncharacteristic quietness.
Yet now, in a moment of glaring hypocrisy, he steps forward to rally support for a Vice President who has overseen some of the worst economic mismanagement in the country’s recent history.
Kuffour’s timing is as curious as it is telling. For nearly eight years, while voices within the NPP were hounded out, dissent crushed, and the government presided over a debt-ridden economy, the former President remained a passive observer.
Not once did he condemn the injustices or call for accountability. Now, with only a few years left in his lifetime, he urges Ghanaians to hand over the reins to Bawumia—a man whose leadership has contributed to their plight. It is a call that reeks of detachment from reality, if not outright bad faith.
The irony of Kuffour’s appeal is not lost on Ghanaians. Here is a man who, having benefited from a relatively stable presidency, seeks to impose a continuation of failure on the people, knowing full well he won’t be around to endure the consequences of such a decision.
In essence, he is asking Ghanaians to gamble their future on a man whose past performance offers little assurance—an outrageous request that borders on mockery.
Kuffour’s attempts to paint Bawumia as an economic savior are both satirical and tragic. Bawumia’s supposed economic prowess, once touted as his strong suit, has been thoroughly discredited by the economic calamities under his watch.
If this is the “remarkable capability” Kuffour refers to, one must wonder if the former President is simply out of touch or intentionally misleading. By their fruits, we shall indeed know them—and Bawumia’s fruits are bitter.
Ghanaians deserve better than platitudes from an elder statesman who has failed to rise to the occasion when it mattered most. Kuffour’s newfound vigor to promote Bawumia serves as a stark reminder that political endorsements, especially those rooted in partisanship and devoid of substance, should be met with skepticism, if not outright disdain.
The nation cannot afford to heed advice that promises further ruin while sparing its proponent from the consequences.
