Dr. Kobina Arthur Kennedy, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has charged one of the contenders for the flagbearership race, who he describes as an “insurgent candidate,” to come out and expose Nana Akufo-Addo’s bad record on violence.
To him, Alan Kyeremateng must devise a new strategy by questioning the rationale behind the deafening silence of Nana Akufo-Addo on the numerous violent incidents that have occurred in the party recently.
“… Ask why he has kept quiet on the many violent activities of people believed to be his supporters? Why is he quiet? Why did he say ‘all-die-be-die’ and why did he say Atiwa? Put those questions to him and expose his record on violence,” he urged on NEAT 100.9
According to Dr. Arthur Kennedy, posing these questions would bring to bear the stand of the 2008 and 2012 Presidential candidate of the NPP and how he has contributed to violent situations over the years.
His advice to Alan Kyeremateng comes on the back of a resounding victory chalked by Nana Addo in the just ended Super Delegates’ Congress in which Nana Addo, who he describes as an established candidate, polled 598 votes out of 787 votes cast.
Barely three days after Mr. Akufo-Addo romped home to victory after securing more than 80 percent at the party’s special delegates congress, the former Communications Director for the NPP in 2008 issued a statement describing as subversive, calls on three other aspirants – Alan Kyerematen, Francis Addai-Nimoh and Osei Ameyaw, who obtained negligible figures at the polls, to withdraw from the race.
Dr Arthur Kennedy also questioned the two-time NPP Presidential Candidate's credentials as a unifying and peace-loving leader.
“To win, if he (Akufo-Addo) becomes the nominee, he needs a united party that has dealt with corruption and violence and intimidation behind him. To get there, he has huge mountains to climb...Ghanaians would quite properly wonder whether a leader who is not inclusive in his party and will not forthrightly condemn violence or talk of it in his party can unite Ghana and guarantee peace as President,” he said.
To him, Nana Addo has not learnt from the mistakes that led to his defeat in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections and for that matter, Alan Kyeremateng, who is the “insurgent candidate” in this race must come out strongly in exposing the former NPP leader’s bad reputation concerning violence.