Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has emphatically denied long-circulating claims that he preferred Alan Kyerematen over Nana Akufo-Addo as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential candidate in 2008.

The former President described the rumours as misleading and unfair, insisting he never plotted against Akufo-Addo nor encouraged Alan’s campaign.

“I never supported him against anybody,” Mr Kufuor stressed. “I didn’t give him anything to aid him go and defeat anybody.”

Mr Kufuor noted that the narrative has survived for years despite having no factual basis.

He added that, contrary to claims that he favoured Alan, he had always maintained neutrality in internal party contests.

Recalling events after the NPP’s victory in 2000, he disclosed that he even attempted to bring Alan into his government, but Alan declined.

“When I contacted him to make him a Minister, he turned down the offer,” Kufuor disclosed.

The clarification comes at a time when internal debates within the NPP have resurfaced following the party’s defeat in the 2024 elections.

In a recent interview on The Delay Show, the former President criticised the Akufo-Addo administration for policy failures that, in his view, contributed significantly to the loss.

He cited the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, the PDS controversy and the National Cathedral project as major blowbacks that eroded public trust.

Mr. Kufuor further stated that while the Akufo-Addo government initially started well, decisions taken after the COVID-19 pandemic raised serious concerns among the electorate.

These issues, he said, marked a sharp departure from the momentum built in 2016 when the party campaigned heavily on the successes of his own administration. That foundation, he argued, provided the NPP with credibility and voter confidence at the time.