Medical doctor and former New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential aspirant, Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy, has made a striking revelation that former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is not backing Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s future presidential ambitions.
In an exclusive interview on TV3’s Ghana Tonight on Thursday, May 1, Dr. Kennedy stated that he knows for certain that the former president has withdrawn his support for Dr. Bawumia, who was the NPP’s 2024 flagbearer and Akufo-Addo’s longtime political partner.
“I know for a fact that Akufo-Addo will not support Bawumia’s candidature moving forward,” Dr. Kennedy asserted during the interview, responding affirmatively when asked if he was making the claim on record.
Pressed by host Alfred Ocansey on the source of his information, Dr. Kennedy declined to disclose specifics but challenged any party insider to correct him if his assertion was inaccurate. “If it is not correct, whoever is in the know can correct me, and as events unfold, we’ll see whether what I have just told you is true,” he said.
He emphasized that he was choosing to be respectful toward the former president, stating, “Out of respect to the former president, I will let him lay out his reasoning himself when he’s ready.”
Dr. Kennedy made the remarks while discussing the fallout from the NPP’s ongoing “Thank You” tour and related tensions within the party. He criticized the approach of Dr. Bawumia during the tour, accusing him of deflecting blame for the shortcomings of the Akufo-Addo administration.
“He’s blaming the former president. It’s very clear that that is what he’s doing,” Kennedy remarked, adding that it was wrong for Dr. Bawumia to attribute the administration’s failings solely to others.
He further advised that the party should consider halting the “Thank You” tour, which has seen internal friction and withdrawals by key party figures.
“I will pull the brakes for a number of reasons,” he said, while clarifying that not all the current issues are the fault of Dr. Bawumia personally. “Sometimes bad things happen in spite of your best efforts,” he noted.
The revelation, if proven true, could have significant implications for the internal dynamics of the NPP ahead of the 2028 elections, especially as the party grapples with leadership transitions and public perception challenges.
