The 86-year-old former president John Agyekum Kufuor has expressed his intense dissatisfaction at what he claims is his removal from important NPP activities, stating that his advanced age should not be a justification for his marginalization.
Despite their efforts and lasting contributions to the party’s legacy, the statesman bemoaned the increasing propensity to ignore senior figures like himself in a direct reflection.
“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 said during a recent interaction with Abetifi MP and NPP flagbearer aspirant, Dr Bryan Acheampong.
Beginning as a 30-year-old Member of Parliament in 1969 and subsequently working as Prime Minister K.A. Busia’s Deputy Minister, he described his decades-long political career. There were costs associated with his political career.
“I was in Ussher Fort prison for one year, three months. How many of today’s leaders can say they’ve paid such a price?” he asked, referring to his imprisonment following the 1972 coup that toppled the Progress Party government.
Kufuor’s leadership brought the NPP to power in 2000, marking a pivotal moment in Ghana’s democratic history. Yet, two decades later, the man many regard as a cornerstone of the party’s modern success says he feels marginalised.
“If there are elders in this party, I am surely one,” he declared, stressing that age must not become an excuse for sidelining wisdom and experience.
According to people close to the former president, he has officially petitioned the party leadership over his concerns regarding internal decision-making procedures and how the NPP handles transitions.
On Monday, July 14, the National Council will hold an emergency meeting as a result of his appeal. The party has been rocked by Kufuor’s comments, which have sparked discussions about respect for elders, generational leadership, and the value of institutional memory preservation.
According to political experts, the former president’s intervention may force the NPP to face up to issues pertaining to its treatment of its founding fathers and senior statesmen as well as leadership succession.
According to Kufuor, the lesson is unmistakable: wisdom, sacrifice, and contribution never diminish with age, and no one who has suffered should be disregarded.
Although it’s unclear exactly what set off the former president’s remarks, information that has made its way suggests that he might not be able to attend the National Delegates Conference on July 19, which has been denounced by several party factions. It’s unclear if the leadership will decide to move forward with the planned conference or if Mr. Kufuor’s reservations will force them to change their minds.