Senior Advisor to the 2025 Bawumia Campaign, Anthony Abayifaa Karbo, has defended the record of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, insisting that history will ultimately judge his administration more favourably despite ongoing criticism.
The Akufo-Addo administration has faced sustained public scrutiny since leaving office after eight years, with some critics branding it the worst government in Ghana’s history. However, Mr Karbo argues that such assessments are premature and fail to fully appreciate the long-term impact of key policies and interventions implemented during that period.
Speaking in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Channel One TV’s Face to Face on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, Mr Karbo said the true measure of the former President’s legacy would only become evident with time.
“I think vindication is what will serve Akufo-Addo in the course of time. I think a lot of the work Akufo-Addo did as President in eight years, it will take time for Ghanaians to see the extent of work he did,” he said.
Mr Karbo pointed to flagship programmes such as the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, as well as infrastructure and social interventions in various parts of the country, as evidence of the former government’s developmental footprint.
Citing Lawra as a case study, he highlighted what he described as significant improvements recorded within a relatively short period under the Akufo-Addo administration.
“If I take Lawra, for instance, in just four years, the kind of development Akufo-Addo has brought to the district. The first was to elevate Lawra from a district into a municipality. A new TVET, a new SHS, Girls’ SHS, water, which was a major issue, the Akufo-Addo government provided 149 boreholes that covered a lot of communities in the first four years,” he stated.
According to Mr Karbo, such interventions, when assessed over the long term, would influence how Ghanaians ultimately judge the Akufo-Addo presidency beyond the immediate political and economic criticisms it continues to attract.
