Ahead of the National Democratic Congress’ Presidential and Parliamentary primaries scheduled for Saturday, May 13, 2023, we take a look at one of the presidential aspirants, former Kumasi mayor, politician, and Ghanaian businessman, Kojo Bonsu.
Kojo Bonsu hails from Offinso in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
He had his Ordinary Level (O level) education at the Tamale Secondary School between 1974 and 1979.
After completion, he moved to the Drayton School in London in 1981 where he acquired an advanced Level Certificate.
For the love of sports, Kojo Bonsu joined giant sports kit manufacturer, Adidas between 1985 and 1990 where he enrolled in their football Business Unit at Herzogenaurach, Germany and Obtained a Diploma in Sports Business and Marketing.
After completing his training in sports Business and marketing, Bonsu worked with Adidas and became their first representative in West Africa and served as an Assistant Marketing Officer.
He rose to become the kit maker’s manager in Ghana and the whole of West Africa.
It was during this period he secured deals between the company and the Ghana Football Association.
Kojo Bonsu’s dedication and knowledge in sports business and marketing secured him a role as the director of Tamale-based football club, Real Tamale United.
He was also an executive member of Kumasi Asante Kototo. Still in his football administration career, Kojo Bonsu in 2003 launched a bid to be the President of the Ghana Football Association but lost to Kwesi Nyantakyi after elections in December 2005.
Despite losing the GFA Presidential elections, Kojo Bonsu was appointed board chairman of the then National Sports Council under the Ministry of Youth and Sports in January 2010.
It was during his administration as the board chairman that the National Sports Council was re-branded to become the National Sports Authority.
In 2013, then President, now an aspirant John Dramani Mahama nominated Kojo Bonsu as the Metropolitan Chief Executive for Kumasi.
After some three years of development in the Kumasi metropolis, in July 2016, he resigned after the Kumasi Traditional Council called him to order for his decision to take Nana Agyenim Boateng, the Amoamanhene off the Kejetia project board without giving notice to the Asantehene Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II
Ahead of the 2020 elections, in September 2018 towards the National Democratic Congress’ Presidential primaries, he declared his intention to contest as a flagbearer to lead the party.
Just three months after he declared his intentions, in December 2018, he announced his decision to drop out of the race for the role and threw his support behind whoever would emerge winner at the end of the primaries.
This time around, the former Kumasi mayor is number 2 on the NDC’s ballot as he faces competition from a former President and a man who appointed him as the Kumasi Mayor in 2013, John Dramani Mahama and former finance minister and governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Kwabena Duffour.
The Presidential and Parliamentary primaries is expected to come off this weekend, May 13, 2023.
