Kufuor Says NPP Wanted Him Ousted After 1996 39% Vote

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor disclosed that senior New Patriotic Party members once tried to block his 1998 flag‑bearer nomination after his 1996 presidential defeat.

Kufuor recounted the episode during a recent interview, saying that even before the 2000 elections some party insiders “wanted to see the back of me.” He reflected on the 1996 polls, noting, “I had thirty‑nine percent and I think that was exceptional.”

The former president explained that a faction within the NPP alleged he had misappropriated campaign contributions received during a tour of the United States. “They said I embarked on a tour of America and party supporters gave me one hundred thousand dollars, which they claimed I deposited into my private bank account. It was a big lie,” he asserted.

In response, the party set up an investigative committee chaired by A K Deku and appointed by then‑party chairman Peter Ala‑Adjetey. Kufuor added that the two accusers – one now deceased and the other still living – could not produce any evidence when summoned.

The committee’s report cleared Kufuor of any wrongdoing, thereby removing the obstacle to his nomination. The NPP subsequently convened its congress in Sunyani in 1998, where Kufuor was formally selected as flag‑bearer and later won the presidency in the 2000 poll.

Kufuor’s revelations shed light on the internal power struggles that shaped the NPP’s evolution and underscore the resilience of democratic processes within Ghana’s major parties.

Image Source: MYJOYONLINE