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Veteran football administrator and former Ghana FA boss, Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has launched a scathing attack on the current leadership of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), warning against any attempt to tamper with the presidential term limits enshrined in the FA’s constitution.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic, the Hearts of Oak board member described efforts to alter the statute limiting the FA presidency to two terms as “dangerous”, insisting it would derail the democratic reforms introduced by the Dr Kofi Amoah-led Normalisation Committee in 2019.
He said the move was a calculated effort by a power-hungry cabal to entrench itself at the top of Ghanaian football.
At the heart of the controversy is an expected proposal at the GFA's upcoming Congress on August 12 to review the existing two-term cap for the presidency.
Some senior officials of the FA, including General Secretary Prosper Harrison-Addo, have hinted that the contentious proposal was recommended by some clubs for consideration.
Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe, who steered the GFA from 2004 to 2005, ahead of major reforms, argued passionately that the existing statutes were designed specifically to prevent the abuse of power and ensure leadership rotation.
He did not mince his words, accusing GFA President Kurt Simeon-Okraku and his inner circle of attempting to cling to power by “twisting the constitution to suit their interests.”
“The constitution strictly puts the number of terms a GFA president can serve at two — and this was introduced during the era of the current president,” he pointed out.
“He [GFA President] never opposed it then. Now that he is approaching the end of his second term, why is he suddenly trying to change it?
The former FA boss reminded the football fraternity that the current statutes were born out of the sweeping reforms introduced by the FIFA-backed Normalisation Committee in 2019, following the explosive “Number 12” corruption exposé that brought Kwesi Nyantakyi’s 13-year reign at the GFA crashing down.
The outspoken football statesman did not hold back in drawing parallels with the past, warning that Ghanaian football risked repeating its darkest chapters.
“We saw what happened to Kwesi Nyantakyi [Mr Simeon-Okraku’s predecessor]. His downfall was partly due to his reluctance to relinquish power.
“Anyone who wants to stay in power perpetually, especially by manipulating the constitution, is a danger to the organisation and society.
We’ve been here before; we must not repeat the same mistakes.”
This is not Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe’s first red flag on the issue. He voiced similar concerns last year, vowing to resist any attempt to extend the tenure of the presidency. Now, with the proposal inching closer to the floor of Congress, his warnings have taken on added urgency.
Widening his critique beyond football, Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe expressed fears that the creeping desire for extended rule could spill over into national politics.
He referenced whispers of a potential third-term bid for Ghana’s current president, insisting such notions must be firmly rejected to preserve Ghana’s democratic integrity.
