Time will prove Akufo-Addo's legacy – NAPO rejects claim of worst president

Former Minister of Energy and 2024 Vice Presidential Candidate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, has defended the record of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, stating that history will ultimately provide a more balanced assessment of his leadership.

Speaking in an interview on GHOne TV with Serwaa Amihere on Thursday, December 18, 2025, NAPO dismissed claims that Akufo-Addo would go down as Ghana’s worst president, describing such narratives as politically motivated and lacking context.

According to him, several individuals who previously presented themselves as neutral civil society actors were, in fact, politically aligned, noting that some of Akufo-Addo’s harshest critics have since assumed positions in government.

He argued that “their past statements should be re-examined in light of their current roles and policy decisions.”

While acknowledging that the Akufo-Addo administration faced challenges, NAPO emphasised that its policy intentions and achievements would be better appreciated over time.

He cited the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy as a landmark initiative, awarding it full marks for vision and implementation, and describing it as transformative for access to education in Ghana.

He also defended the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, recalling that Ghana received international praise for its leadership at a time when many countries were laying off workers, while public sector workers in Ghana continued to receive salaries despite revenue losses.

On the controversial lithium agreement, NAPO argued that Akufo-Addo was unfairly maligned for negotiating higher royalty terms, insisting that subsequent policy reversals by critics only strengthened the former president’s case.

Concluding his remarks, NAPO stressed that political narratives often overshadow factual assessments, urging Ghanaians to allow history to judge Akufo-Addo objectively, “Vindication is in the womb of time.”