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Questionable emotional intelligence of Kennedy Agyapong makes him unpresidential

57864216 Kennedy Agyapong

Sun, 8 Oct 2023 Source: John-Baptist Naah

Kennedy Agyapong has been in the Ghanaian political landscape as an MP for a while and made unsavory utterances and issued all kinds of threats to Opposition members in the NDC including former President Mahama, and Journalists in the past.

His own Party, the NPP, and its members have not been left out in his wild vituperations including his F-word on NPP members and ‘showdown’ comments on the President and his Vice coming from his Party!

Of late Kennedy Agyapong has offered a public apology to former President Mahama in an interview with Star FM for unfairly treating him with his public utterances. Although this is so little so late, it is better than nothing for purposes of national cohesion.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is being able to accommodate extreme provocation from others with divergent views and still address issues of concern in a calm and decorous manner. Both Intelligence quotient (IQ) and EQ are highly crucial when it comes to the highest political calling of a President given by the people to govern the affairs of a country on their behalf.

Kennedy Agyapong has proven over the years to have lingering difficulty in terms of handling his anger publicly and will thus perform poorly in any emotional intelligence test in my opinion.

The position of President of every nation comes with honourous and heavy-duty responsibilities including being the Commander-in-Chief of the military, using value judgment to make serious decisions like a declaration of war and state of emergency, and other presidential powers and duties. Such huge presidential powers and duties can be hugely compromised by an ‘unpresidential material’.

Although Kennedy Agyapong may qualify like any other Ghanaian including myself to be a President of Ghana in line with Chapter 8, Article 62 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, his questionable EQ makes him an unpresidential material.

A sympathizer of Kennedy Agyapong even publicly advised him to hire a Speech Adviser to check his speeches going forward. This may not be enough as it seems too late for Kennedy Agyapong to change the public image of himself.

Kennedy Agyapong still has a long way to ‘shoot his shot’ in terms of trying to lead his NPP Party. Although Kennedy Agyapong was given second place in the NPP Presidential Primaries at the Special Delegates Conference held on August 26, 2023, let us see whether he will give the favored candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia a ‘showdown’ on November 4, 2023, or not.

The NPP National Delegates Congress will confirm their Presidential candidate to lock horns with the most experienced former President Mahama of the NDC Party for the upcoming 2024 General elections.

Any NPP Presidential candidate emerging, in the end, will have an uphill task to explain to Ghanaians what will be done differently in terms of the massive corruption, insensitivity, and super incompetence witnessed under the outgoing Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led government.

Columnist: John-Baptist Naah