– Cries Foul Over Alleged Snub as His Calculated Silence Bights Back
Former Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor, long known for his stoic silence amidst the political tempest under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration, is now, ironically, finding that very silence haunting him.
The venerable statesman has unleashed a torrent of complaints, accusing the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) of outright snubs and deliberate exclusion from crucial party meetings and decision-making fora.
Kufuor’s lamentations come at a time when many Ghanaians recall his conspicuous absence from public discourse during the Akufo-Addo government’s struggles.
While the nation clamored for his seasoned counsel, his singular notable intervention was a meek public suggestion for President Akufo-Addo to merely apologize to the populace.
Beyond that solitary whisper, Kufuor maintained a Sphinx-like silence throughout the administration’s tenure, opting out of any critical public pronouncements.
Now, it appears the chickens have come home to roost. The very party he once led to power seems to have forgotten its elder statesman, effectively sidelining a figure who, by all accounts, should be a guiding light.
Kufuor has made no secret of his profound disappointment, viewing his current marginalization within the NPP as a grave affront.
In a recent candid exchange with Abetifi MP and NPP flagbearer hopeful, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, Kufuor broke his long-held peace. “I’ve held my peace, but I’ve been observing closely,” he reportedly stated, his words dripping with understated indignation.
Recounting a storied political journey that began in 1969 as a 30-year-old parliamentarian and saw him rise to Deputy Minister under Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia, the former President painted a poignant picture of unwavering dedication to Ghana’s democratic evolution.
“Have I declined to the point where I can be dismissed, overlooked? My faculties are intact. I’m no relic. I deserve at least to be consulted,” Kufuor asserted, his voice laced with a potent mix of frustration and a defiant declaration of continued relevance.
“If there are elders in this party, I am surely one,” he stressed, delivering a passionate reminder to the NPP of the foundational roles played by its pioneers, including himself, who paved the way for the party’s enduring success.
These pointed remarks, sources indicate, were made in the context of what he perceives as a deliberate effort by the current NPP leadership to keep him out of vital consultations.
However, the NPP’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, has swiftly and emphatically dismissed Kufuor’s claims, branding them as baseless and taken out of context.
“We all know that in the NPP, under this Fourth Republic, Mr. Kufuor is the first leader to win power for us, and we are proud of this legacy. We are excited to have a former President of Kufuor’s calibre in our party. So, there’s no way the party can sideline him,” Mr. Kodua declared on Peace FM’s popular “Kokrokoo” morning show on Monday.
Kodua further clarified that the widely circulated video of Kufuor’s remarks is, in fact, not recent and has been sensationally misconstrued. “This video was even before we launched our Patriotic Institute.
We can all attest to the fact that Mr. Kufuor was in attendance at the launch. So can someone who has been sidelined be at the launch of the Patriotic Institute and even give a speech?” Kodua quizzed, effectively turning the tables on the public narrative fueled by the video’s re-circulation.
He went on to emphasize that Kufuor remains a crucial cog in the party’s strategic machinery, regularly represented at National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings and other internal structures, underscoring the enduring respect and significant role he continues to command within the NPP.
Is this a genuine oversight by the NPP, or is Kufuor’s recent outspokenness a calculated move to reclaim his influence within the party he once led? Only time will tell if this public spat signals a deeper rift within the ruling party’s hierarchy.
By Prince Ahenkorah