Politics

‘If your vision starts with the IMF, you’ve already failed’ – Kennedy Agyapong

New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopeful Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has fired a direct shot at his rivals, declaring that “if your vision starts with the IMF, you’ve already failed.”

Speaking in a post on X, the outspoken politician insisted that Ghana’s future cannot be anchored on International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailouts. Kennedy Agyapong stressed that any leader whose first instinct is to negotiate with the IMF lacks the vision required to transform the country. According to him, “If your vision starts with the IMF, you’ve already failed, because leadership should be about charting a new path, not recycling dependency.”

The Assin Central MP, who is seeking to lead the NPP into the 2028 general elections, argued that Ghana’s repeated reliance on the IMF is a mark of weak leadership. Kennedy Agyapong explained that the IMF route has never delivered sustainable development, insisting that “if your vision starts with the IMF, you’ve already failed, because the Fund was not created to make us independent but to keep us surviving.”

He said his vision, in contrast, was to build a self-reliant Ghana capable of generating prosperity without external prescriptions. “I want an economy that is strong enough to make the IMF irrelevant in our national conversation. The focus should be on industrialisation, creating jobs for the youth, boosting agriculture, and cutting waste in government spending,” he added.

Mr. Agyapong’s comments come at a decisive moment for the ruling party, which is preparing for a crucial internal election to select its flagbearer. The NPP has confirmed that five aspirants—Ing. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum—have officially filed to contest.

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In a statement dated August 28, 2025, the party’s Presidential Elections Committee assured members of a transparent and credible process. “The Committee assures all stakeholders of its commitment to a transparent, credible, and fair process, guided by the Party’s Constitution and Regulations,” Secretary William Yamoah said.

The NPP is set to elect its flagbearer on Saturday, January 31, 2026.