Kwame Asare Obeng, the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, has accused the previous Akufo-Addo administration of eroding public optimism through policies that, in his words, effectively “taxed hope,” suggesting that this loss of trust could pave the way for President John Dramani Mahama to secure a massive electoral victory if he contests again.
Speaking on GHToday with Serwaa Amihere on Thursday, January 29, 2026, Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus, said governance under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) failed to inspire confidence despite Ghana’s natural resource wealth.
“If John Mahama contests for an election, he will win and this time it is going to be massive. Everyone can see the common-sense approach to issues,” he said.
A-Plus expressed frustration that after major economic disruptions, including the banking sector reforms, the government introduced additional burdens that deepened public hardship rather than restoring hope.
“After you collapsed the banks, you came back and told the people of Ghana that after everything that God has given us as a country, from the gold to the oil, everything, what you needed to build the country was when people had hope, like you were going to tax hope,” he said.
He argued that policies introduced under President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration left many citizens feeling emotionally and economically drained.
“Under Akufo-Addo, hope was taxable. How can you tax hope? Does it make any common sense?” A-Plus questioned.
According to the MP, elections are not decided solely by technical economic arguments but by how citizens feel about their future, stressing that governance must preserve optimism rather than extinguish it.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Barbara Yeboah
