Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the former Vice President and 2024 flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has fired shots at his former boss, President Akufo-Addo, over the controversial spending on the National Cathedral.
Speaking to party members in Takoradi on April 26, 2025, during the NPP’s Thank You tour in the Western Region, Dr. Bawumia asserted that the decision to spend $58 million in public funds on the National Cathedral contributed significantly to the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
“The National Cathedral we were not able to complete after $58 million was sunk into it, caused a lot of rage in the public,” Dr. Bawumia stated.
He further highlighted that a sudden increase in fuel prices, three days before the election, also fueled public anger against the party:
“Three days before election day, the price of fuel went up. When I heard it, I thought it was a joke. The drivers were angry at us. So, people went to vote against us with anger.”
According to Dr. Bawumia, a Mike Oquaye-led committee has been tasked to analyze the causes of the NPP’s electoral loss, and he expressed relief that the defeat was not based on religious or tribal grounds.
Background on the National Cathedral Controversy
The National Cathedral project, initiated by former President Akufo-Addo in 2017, aimed to serve as a national Christian worship centre and a symbol of Ghana’s religious heritage. However, it became mired in controversy due to its high costs, questionable funding sources, and allegations of financial mismanagement.
Critics consistently lambasted the project’s financial handling, leading to mounting public distrust and outrage.
Following a change of government, the John Dramani Mahama administration officially dissolved the National Cathedral Secretariat.
Mahama Government Halts Funding
Minister of State in Charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, confirmed in an interview on Channel One TV that the Mahama government will no longer fund the abandoned National Cathedral project.
“There are outstanding issues regarding the procurement processes and outstanding payments that the contractor is demanding, but nobody will answer because there is no National Cathedral,” he said.
He stressed that President Mahama remains committed to protecting taxpayers’ money:
“It remains a worthless home. President Mahama is not going to put GHS400 million of taxpayers’ money into that project.”
The future of the National Cathedral remains uncertain, with no government funds allocated for its continuation.