'No amount of chest-beating like gorilla will bring you back in 2028' — Franklin Cudjoe tells NPP

President of policy think tank IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has criticised the New Patriotic Party’s confidence in reclaiming power in the 2028 general elections, describing it as misplaced and unsupported optimism.

According to the policy analyst, many Ghanaians have not forgotten what he described as the economic challenges and governance failures that characterised the NPP’s eight-year administration.

Mr Cudjoe argued that the party’s attempts to reconnect with voters would be difficult because of the impact of decisions taken while it was in government.

He stated that “what is even more egregious is that, having dealt us terrible blows with many of us still spread eagle-like on the floor, most of your colleagues have the temerity to taunt us with hollow suggestions, weaker alternative ideas, and almost sound angelic over a fraction of inglorious acts at play for which your colleagues in leadership curated and indulged gleefully.”

The IMANI Africa president said the NPP’s path to winning public trust again would require humility, active engagement with citizens and a clear demonstration of how it intends to address their concerns differently.

He advised the party to “hasten slowly, listen carefully to the critical needs of Ghanaians in every constituency, tell us how you would solve them DIFFERENTLY, efficiently and prudently with fewer resources, and explain why your temperament as a party makes you the obvious choice for 2028”.

Mr Cudjoe added that the NPP must convince voters with practical solutions and a credible vision rather than relying on past achievements or political messaging ahead of the next election.

Read His Full Post Below:
My dear brother Hon. Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, the little I saw of your stewardship convinced me that YOU should have been NPP’s Finance Minister for at least the second term, 2020–2024! Unfortunately, you were brought in when it was too late–after the “We have the Men” touted as shepherds of our economic destiny had become guardians of waste, ghosts of our pillaged resources and fantastically corrupt.

Please, my brother, among the many attributes a good leader such as yourself is allowed to cultivate, baseless optimism is not one of them. In fact, hoping against hope is also unwise.

Many Ghanaians have neither forgotten nor forgiven the many treacherous economic and governance infractions deliberately committed by your government. What is even more egregious is that, having dealt us terrible blows with many of us still spread eagle-like on the floor, most of your colleagues have the temerity to taunt us with hollow suggestions, weaker alternative ideas, and almost sound angelic over a fraction of inglorious acts at play for which your colleagues in leadership curated and indulged gleefully.

However, there is a better way to warm yourselves into the arms of the average Ghanaian again: hasten slowly, listen carefully to the critical needs of Ghanaians in every constituency, tell us how you would solve them DIFFERENTLY, efficiently and prudently with fewer resources, and explain why your temperament as a party makes you the obvious choice for 2028.

Until this important exercise is undertaken, no amount of chest-beating like the gorilla, feet-thumping like the elephant, or singing of political dirges can help you. Above all else, prepare a statement of apology to the people of SALL for the cardinal sin you committed against them. Have a good week.