Former President John Agyekum Kufuor made a surprising announcement, putting an end to speculation about his preferred candidate for the presidency of Ghana.
During the “Dr. Bawumia Speaks” event at the University of Professional Studies (UPSA) in Accra, Kufuor declared his unwavering support for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Kufuor, widely regarded as one of the most successful presidents in the history of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), had long been associated with Alan Kyeremanten. However, Kyeremanten’s decision to break ranks with the NPP and form the Movement for Change altered the political landscape.
In the 2008 presidential election, Kufuor openly expressed his preference for Kyerematen over Nana Akufo-Addo, then his Foreign Minister. Despite Kufuor’s endorsement, the NPP delegates ultimately chose Akufo-Addo as the presidential candidate.
Now, Kufuor has thrown his support behind Vice President Bawumia, despite initial protests from various NPP figures regarding his choice as running mate.
During the “Dr. Bawumia Speaks” event, Kufuor praised Bawumia’s visionary leadership and emphasized the importance of widespread support to continue his commendable work.
Kufuor’s unexpected endorsement is expected to have a significant impact on the upcoming December elections, reshaping the dynamics of the political landscape in Ghana.
As the NPP navigates this new course with Bawumia at the forefront, supported by influential figures like Kufuor, the former president urged Ghanaians to rally behind and support Bawumia in his leadership role, describing him as a man of destiny.
“I have always seen him as a man of destiny. When I first saw him in 2002, he was a research assistant to the governor of the Bank of Ghana. He delivered a paper at an international conference in London. There was something about his presentation. I was the president of Ghana by then. Till then I hadn’t even spoken to him before.
“I congratulated him and I don’t know what came in me, prophetically, I told him to carry on the light and that he will go far…In 2008, Akufo-Addo picked this man again to be his running mate.”
“…This man is on a mission. A mission determined by destiny. Let’s all support him to continue.
Quality leadership is very scarce,” he stated.
The former president also indicated that the country needed a visionary leader.
“Ghana has come to a crossroads. It’s not the regular politics we want. We want a leadership with vision, even in the complex world I spoke about. We should be talking about the nation and not so much as the party. We must get competent people to work with him to bring us out of the challenges we are in now,” he added.
He pleaded with the populace to allow Dr. Bawumia an opportunity to prove his mettle as president for the good of the nation.
He declared that Dr. Bawumia had what it took to be successful and pull the nation out of its present economic and social quagmire.
“He is hallmarked by humility and the temperament requisite for the job of leading the country in search of a way forward,” Mr. Kufuor said.
Mr. Kufuor emphasized the global shortage of quality leadership that comprehends modern technological advancements and contemporary geopolitics.
He stressed the necessity for visionary leadership in Ghana, capable of harnessing new technologies and mobilizing the necessary human resources to drive national growth in today’s complex world.
According to the former president, Dr. Bawumia stands out due to his understanding of current challenges and his familiarity with the technologies needed to address them.
Mr. Kufuor said: “We happen to be living in times where the whole world is in a flux. leadership is very, very scarce, quality leadership.
“If anybody aspires to be a leader without command of the new technologies, like digitalisation and also without a deep grasp of geopolitics, I tell you, he may be a good man in terms of mastering some of the old disciplines like economics, politics and all that, but I tell you very likely they will be found wanting sooner than later.”
He added that the Vice President had “this instrument under his belt — digitalisation, geopolitics, and additionally, we have seen him perform loyally under President Akufo-Addo and has been also in the public view since he got selected as the vice presidential candidate in 2008.”
Former President Kufuor also described the Vice President as a man with the right “humility and temperament” for the job as President and appealed to Ghanaians to give the Vice President a chance.
“Ghana has come to a crossroads, and I’m serious here. It’s not the normal regular politics we want; we want a leadership with vision, even in the complex world I have talked about, the leader that will be able to marshal the new technologies to pick the requisite manpower,” he said.
He added that “we must get people of competence to work with him to find our way out of the confusion our society and economy have plunged into.”