–By Issah Olegor
Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President of the policy think tank IMANI Africa, has launched one of his most scathing criticisms yet of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), accusing officials in the former ruling government of orchestrating widespread theft of public funds and signing corrupt deals that undermined Ghana’s economy.
His remarks have stirred fresh controversy in an already politically charged environment.
In a strongly worded social media post, Franklin Cudjoe lamented Ghana’s declining economic performance, particularly the steep drop in foreign direct investment (FDI) and the apparent lack of accountability for years of economic mismanagement.
According to him, while serious global leaders are brokering billion-dollar partnerships to advance their nations, Ghana under the NPP wasted eight years executing fraudulent deals that enriched politically connected individuals and their families.
“We spent 8 years signing away crooked deals to siphon off billions of cedis to friends and extensive family relations,” he wrote.
“In 2024, only $618 million of foreign direct investment was recorded. One man, a low-profile director alone stole $7 million. Imagine how much had been raided by the uncountable big men and women. Thieves!!”
Franklin Cudjoe’s harsh words are the latest in a long line of public critiques he has directed at the NPP, particularly concerning issues of governance, transparency, and public accountability.
Electoral Commission Job
However, his vocal stance has also sparked rumors about his own political ambitions, with reports suggesting he may be eyeing the chairmanship of the Electoral Commission (EC).
According to confidential reports obtained, Franklin Cudjoe and his think tank, IMANI Africa, have allegedly been promised the leadership of the EC if they succeed in mounting enough pressure to force out the current leadership led by Jean Mensa.
These claims stem from an alleged closed-door meeting between Franklin Cudjoe, one of his vice presidents, and President John Dramani Mahama.
The report suggests that during the meeting, President Mahama allegedly expressed his desire to remove Jean Mensa and her deputies—Bossman Asare and others—accusing them of overseeing flawed electoral processes.
He is said to have asked IMANI Africa to spearhead a campaign to push for their removal through a petition to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
“All you people need to do is to sustain your advocacy for the removal of the current EC leadership, and when you succeed, that outfit would be yours,” Mahama reportedly assured the group.
He allegedly added that using IMANI would be more strategic than assigning known NDC loyalists to lead the charge.
Though these reports remain unverified, they have sparked a firestorm of political speculation and conspiracy theories about a coordinated plan to take over the EC.
Franklin Cudjoe has since dismissed the rumours that he is lobbying for the top EC job, while taking another jab at the current Electoral Commission for what he described as incompetence and electoral malpractice.
“Now, they are spreading false news that I’m lobbying for the EC’s job. If I did, I would be a far better EC that wouldn’t make basic arithmetic mistakes, steal votes, and deny some representation for a political party,” he wrote in a follow-up post.
Franklin Cudjoe and IMANI Africa have long been critics of the Jean Mensa-led Electoral Commission, frequently publishing analyses, reports, and statements that question the EC’s transparency, particularly during and after the 2020 general elections.
The think tank has also previously clashed with the EC on voter registration processes, the compilation of the new voters’ register, and result declarations.
The NPP, which has not formally responded to these latest accusations, is likely to view the escalating attacks from Cudjoe as politically motivated.
Meanwhile, supporters of the NDC may see IMANI’s positioning as strategic in the broader context of upcoming electoral reforms and the 2028 election cycle.
With both the credibility of the Electoral Commission and the independence of civil society being placed under intense scrutiny, Franklin Cudjoe’s claims and the swirling rumours around his alleged ambitions represent yet another layer of intrigue in Ghana’s evolving political narrative.
