“If Your Vision Starts with IMF, You’ve Already Failed” – Kennedy Agyapong Slams NPP Rivals

New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopeful Kennedy Agyapong has sharpened his campaign rhetoric, taking a swipe at his opponents by declaring that any aspirant whose economic vision begins with seeking an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout has already failed.

In a tweet that has stirred debate within the party, Mr. Agyapong positioned himself as the only candidate offering a pathway to economic self-reliance.

“You want to lead Ghana, yet your main concern is who can negotiate best with the IMF? Let me be clear: If your vision for Ghana starts with a trip to the IMF, you have already failed,” he wrote.

His remarks are widely seen as a veiled attack on Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who chaired the Economic Management Team during Ghana’s most recent IMF programme.

Agyapong’s message resonates with growing public frustration over Ghana’s repeated reliance on external bailouts, which many view as a sign of weak governance and poor fiscal discipline.

He outlined his vision as one rooted in aggressive domestic investment, industrialisation, job creation through local manufacturing, and tighter fiscal management to prevent unsustainable debt.

“My vision is to build an economy so self-reliant and powerful that the IMF becomes irrelevant to our national conversation,” he added.

As the NPP gears up for its flagbearer contest ahead of the 2028 general elections, Agyapong’s hardline stance is expected to shape the economic debate within the party. His rivals, who have largely framed their policies around managing the current crisis, may now be forced to defend their reliance on international financial support.

With voters increasingly weary of austerity and rising living costs, Agyapong’s strategy positions him as the “anti-IMF candidate,” offering an alternative to the cycle of foreign dependency that has defined Ghana’s recent economic history.