Veteran New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart Dr. Arthur Kennedy has criticised senior party leadership, including Professor Mike Oquaye and former President Nana Akufo-Addo, describing them as liabilities and slamming the delegate system as “a problem for democracy.” The comments were made during an interview on TV3, where Dr. Kennedy spoke candidly about internal party dynamics ahead of the NPP’s upcoming presidential primary.
Dr. Kennedy accused Prof. Mike Oquaye and other senior figures of failing the party repeatedly. “They are not serious. If indeed there are elders, they have been discredited. People think this early primary was to help the party, but it is clearly designed to favour a particular candidate,” he stated. Dr. Kennedy stressed that the party should have engaged the grassroots for accountability, allowing successful leaders to be re-elected while underperforming ones are removed, rather than rushing the process.
On former President Nana Akufo-Addo, Kennedy was equally critical, calling him an electoral liability. “Whenever you put him in front of the public, you lose votes because of the anger resulting from his disastrous management of the country and the party,” he said. He accused the former president of dividing the party, forcing former Vice President Dr. Bawumia on the party, and failing to remove officials he described as underperforming, including Ken Ofori-Atta.
Dr. Kennedy drew parallels with international examples, noting how former US leaders who became liabilities were sidelined in future campaigns. “Nana Addo’s words are inconsistent with his actions. He cannot preach unity and be taken seriously,” Dr. Kennedy concluded, warning that the party risks further internal divisions if it fails to address these leadership issues.
His remarks have reignited debates within the NPP about leadership accountability, the fairness of the delegate system, and the timing of the presidential primary, with party members and analysts closely watching the unfolding developments ahead of the vote.