Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential aspirant, Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy, has criticized the NPP’s ongoing “Thank You” tour, describing it as “ill-conceived from the beginning” and calling for it to be paused.
Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight programme, Dr. Kennedy acknowledged that “Thank You” tours are not unprecedented within the NPP, but stated that this particular tour has been “characterized by undue rancor” and violence, including a recent stabbing incident.
“It doesn’t seem as if it is doing our reputation any good,” he said.
Dr. Kennedy believes that the tour should be put on hold, not only for the sake of Kennedy Agyapong and the NPP National Chairman, who have both withdrawn from it, but for the party as a whole. “The tour should take a break,” he asserted.
He argued that the NPP’s focus on internal party matters is distracting it from addressing critical national issues.
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“While we seemed a little obsessively focused on the ‘Thank You’ tour, and what we are doing with the party, the nation has real emergencies that are going ignored,” he stated.
He cited concerns about the judiciary, including pressure on the Chief Justice and alleged attempts by the President to “pack the Supreme Court,” as well as the government’s handling of illegal mining (“Galamsey”).
Dr. Kennedy emphasized the NPP’s role as the largest opposition party, urging it to be “loyal to Ghana first” and to engage in the national discourse.
“These are things that, as the major opposition responsible and loyal to Ghana, we should vigorously engage, work with the president where possible, and oppose him with reasons where we think he is going off the rails,” he said.
In addition to his critique of the tour, Dr. Kennedy also revealed that former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has withdrawn his support for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s future presidential ambitions , stating that he knows this “for certain.”
