Kofi Wayo Dies at 71

Ghanaian maverick politician and businessman, Charles Kofi Wayo, popularly called ‘Chuck’ Wayo, has died. He was 71 years old.

He passed away in the early hours of Saturday, November 7, 2026, at the Nyaho Medical Centre in Accra. His family has not yet announced the cause of death or funeral arrangements, though several media houses have put out the story and it has sparked public commentary

Kofi Wayo was known across Ghana for his blunt and fearless comments about government, corruption, and the economy. He never held public office, but he became one of the country’s most recognised political voices, especially in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Chuck Wayo first became famous for strongly criticising the government of former President Jerry John Rawlings. He later joined the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and contested the Ayawaso East parliamentary seat in the 2000 elections. He lost the seat but remained a vocal critic of the then-ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

After the NPP came to power in 2001 under President John Agyekum Kufuor, Wayo became unhappy with the party. In December 2003, he announced he was leaving the NPP, saying it had failed to deliver on its promises to ordinary Ghanaians.

He briefly joined the People’s National Convention (PNC) before founding his own party, the United Renaissance Party (URP), which was registered in 2006. Through the URP, he hoped to give Ghanaians an alternative to the two big parties, the NPP and NDC. He was endorsed as the URP’s presidential candidate for the 2012 election.

The URP struggled to win votes, and Wayo gradually stepped away from active politics. In March 2017, he announced he was leaving partisan politics for good. He said he was disappointed with the country’s political system and wanted to focus on farming.

He explained that he wanted to help farmers in rural communities by giving them farming tools and other support. He often criticised governments for not doing enough to help farmers, saying agriculture needed real action, not just political talk.

“I am now into farming and assisting the farmers in the villages with implements and other logistics, unlike their MPs who are cruising in Land Cruisers and don’t care about them,” he told Graphic Online at the time.

In the years that followed, Wayo kept a low profile and rarely appeared in public.

Even though he never won a major election, Kofi Wayo left a lasting mark on Ghana’s political scene. His bold style and willingness to criticise leaders from all parties made him stand out. He attracted both admiration and controversy for always speaking his mind.

His death marks the end of an era for one of Ghana’s most colourful and outspoken political figures. He is survived by his family, who have asked for privacy as they mourn.