President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has sharply criticized former President John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), calling him a “failed president” whose inability to secure a second term was due to poor economic management.
In a meeting with professional bodies in Kumasi on Sunday, November 24, President Akufo-Addo attributed Mahama’s 2016 electoral defeat to what he described as the former president’s mishandling of the economy, which led to widespread hardship among Ghanaians.
The president noted that the electorate rejected Mahama in 2016 due to the economic difficulties they endured during his tenure.
Akufo-Addo cautioned Ghanaians not to entrust the country’s leadership to Mahama again, asserting that his past record does not inspire confidence.
“Ghanaians rejected him in 2016 because of the economic challenges he caused. His leadership did not bring the progress the country needed,” Akufo-Addo stated.
The president also criticized the NDC’s proposed 24-hour economy policy, calling it unrealistic. He pointed out that during Mahama’s administration, the government struggled to ensure consistent power supply for even 12 hours, making the proposed policy appear impractical.
“How can we believe in a 24-hour economy when the same government couldn’t guarantee consistent power supply for just half a day?” Akufo-Addo questioned.
As the 2024 election campaign heats up, both the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition NDC are intensifying their efforts to win the support of voters.
President Akufo-Addo’s remarks are part of a broader effort to contrast his administration’s record with that of Mahama’s leadership, urging Ghanaians to look toward the future with confidence in the NPP’s ability to lead the country forward.
“In 2016, when there was no world crisis, no global crisis, nothing, GDP growth was 3.4 per cent, the lowest in over 10 years. The man who is responsible for that sluggish rate of growth is telling us that today he can give us a better economy. I know he believes that we have short memories.
“But not everybody in Ghana has a short memory. Some of us will remember and continue to remember and remind the people of Ghana about his performance.
“Mahama speaks as if somehow he is some new figure in Ghanaian politics. There is nothing new about this man. He is like me. We have been around for a long time.”
