'Let's not make the mistake of electing another 72-year-old president again' - A-Plus

The Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A Plus, has urged Ghanaians to reject presidential candidates over 60, arguing that older people cannot build the country or tackle long-standing national challenges.

Speaking during a Facebook Live session on June 30, 2026, A-Plus said Ghana's political leadership has been dominated by older politicians for far too long, insisting that the country's future depends on electing leaders with fresh ideas and a modern approach to governance.

To support his argument, A Plus reflected on the transition of power after the 2016 general election.

He said then-President John Dramani Mahama left office after overseeing several major infrastructure projects, including the expansion of the Tema Port, the construction of Terminal 3 at Kotoka International Airport, the Bank of Ghana Hospital, and the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital).

According to him, despite these achievements, Ghanaians were persuaded to vote Mahama out of office and instead elected Nana Akufo-Addo, who was 72 years old at the time.

A Plus argued that while other countries have rapidly transformed their economies, Ghana has remained stagnant under the leadership of politicians who have spent decades in public office.

'You people have a problem and politicians can't solve it' - A Plus on recent floods

“When John Mahama was leaving power in 2016, he handed over power after he had built a new port in Tema, a new airport, the Bank of Ghana Hospital, and Ridge Hospital. We were convinced to remove him from power. And when we removed him, we brought in a 72-year-old man. When he was leaving power, he was 80. These Ghanaian politicians sat and watched Dubai turn into what it is, but all these people can brag about is that they know how to talk,” A-Plus said.

The Gomoa Central MP also claimed that he has been hearing discussions within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) about potentially presenting the party's National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, as its future presidential candidate.

According to A Plus, Asiedu Nketiah would be around 72 years old by the time he could assume office as president.

He further argued that if Ghana's Constitution were amended to extend the presidential term to five years, Asiedu Nketiah would leave office at about 81 years old.

He maintained that Ghana cannot continue to hand over leadership to 72-year-old politicians, especially after, in his view, experiencing the consequences of doing so under the past administration.

A-Plus further argued that if President Mahama succeeds in implementing major development projects during his current administration, it would be counterproductive for the country to transfer power once again to another leader in his seventies.

The lawmaker also blamed Ghana's ageing political leadership for the country's persistent infrastructure challenges, particularly the recurring flooding that continues to destroy lives and property during heavy rains.

According to him, successive governments led by older politicians have failed to resolve structural problems despite being in power for many years.

“Enough of these old people. Ebi them dey make water dey enter your house. For so many years they no fit control the system; they lef the system like that,” A-Plus said in Pidgin.

A-Plus concluded by reiterating his belief that Ghana should adopt a new approach to political leadership by preventing anyone above the age of 60 from contesting for the presidency.

He argued that political parties should equally refrain from selecting such individuals as presidential candidates because, in his opinion, Ghana needs younger leaders capable of transforming the country.

“Bring something modern, something new. Fu*k this whole politics thing. Anyone over 60 years old should not be voted in as president. In fact, they shouldn’t even be considered as a presidential candidate. I am telling you the truth: the old people cannot build this country,” he added.

Dubai was built in 20 years, but some people have been in politics for more than 20 years. Yet their constituency is nothing to write home about.

APlus warns Ghanaians against voting for a 72-year-old man as president again after Nana Addo. pic.twitter.com/tYdOlE1pj2

— Showdown Trends (@ShowdownTrends) June 30, 2026

Watch President Mahama conduct aerial inspection of flood-hit areas in Accra after heavy rains



AK/BAI