A former Presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party Arthur Kobina Kennedy has stated that the party needs to be saved from its extremists in order to save Ghana from the ruling NDC government.

“The NPP needs to be saved from its extremists, so that united; it can save Ghana from the NDC. My place, as a Ghanaian patriot and a true member of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition—is in the frontlines of that fight, on the side of principle, common sense, courtesy, tolerance and the rule of law,” Arthur Kennedy stated in a statement.

The California-based medical practitioner also stated that the NPP are on the path to self-destruction and likely to repeat the mistakes that cost them victory in 1979.

Dr. Kennedy also slammed former NPP chairman Haruna Esseku for describing him as a non-NPP member, saying “It is, of course, obvious that if I was celebrating “all-die-be-die”-- the removal of Afoko and Agyapong-- the insults of Kufuor and others -- the opening of secret bank accounts and other assaults on our constitution and traditions, no one would be questioning my membership. And that is a shame.

“I am disappointed that Mr. Esseku would add his name to this charade. He is a better man than the person portrayed by his involvement in this farce”.

Below is the full statement by Arthur Kennedy

THE NPP MUST LEARN FROM HISTORY

The NPP appears bent on repeating its unhappy history. In 1979, with victory in plain sight, it divided into the PFP and the UNC and gave away victory to the Nkrumahist PNP, led by Dr. Hilla Limann. As Akenten Appiah-Menka told me, “That division could have been avoided by a more conciliatory tone. Those who stayed in the PFP thought those leaving to form the UNC did not matter and it cost us dearly.”

Currently, with 2016 approaching and another Nkrumahist party on the other side, we seem poised, once again, to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. We are on a strange mission, to purge our ranks and demoralize ourselves through suspensions, expulsions and designation of good members as traitors and/or agents of the NDC--- based on dissent.

Those who disagree with the flag-bearer are called names and have their loyalty questioned. Former President Kufuor, Kwadwo Mpiani, Paul Afoko, Kwabena Agyapong, Wereko Brobbey, Nyaho Tamakloe and yours truly, to mention only a few have all been targeted.

Personally, in the last couple of weeks, I have been disowned by the NPP-USA, NPP of my home constituency, Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese and the venerable former National Chairman, Haruna Esseku, who felt compelled, while sticking the knife in me to state that he is, like me, a Fanti! The chances that these denunciations of me are coincidental are just as much as the chances of a Fanti seeing kenkey, pepper and fish on his breakfast plate and thinking the three items got on his plate by chance. For a man who has been pronounced politically dead repeatedly, this pathological obsession with me, while flattering, is puzzling.

My standing in the NPP, to put it humbly, is self-evident. I was in good standing when we were in opposition before the 2000 election.

I was in good standing while we were in government. Indeed, in 2007, I was vetted and found fit to contest the Presidency of Ghana on the NPP’s ticket. In fact, if the delegates at Legon had picked me number one instead of giving me one vote, I might have gone on to win the 2008 presidential elections and would be preparing to hand over next January.

I have been in good standing since we returned to opposition.

I have known and worked with every one of our Presidential candidates starting with Victor Owusu, as well as every General Secretary beginning with Agyenim Boateng. I have worked with activists ranging from Azorka through the Idris brothers to Alhaji Gibrine.

Throughout all these phases, I have poured my blood, my sweat and my treasure into the NPP.

My money and ideas were welcome whether I was in Accra or Milwaukee or Asebu. My membership card, like all others, has no expiration date. The NPP has never believed that a person’s contribution to party or country should be limited by where he lives. That is why we championed ROPAL.

It is, of course obvious that if I was celebrating “all-die-be-die”-- the removal of Afoko and Agyapong-- the insults of Kufuor and others -- the opening of secret bank accounts and other assaults on our constitution and traditions, no one would be questioning my membership. And that is a shame.

I am disappointed that Mr. Esseku would add his name to this charade. He is a better man than the person portrayed by his involvement in this farce.

Over the last year, in the face of the invectives and calumnies heaped upon me for my positions on the NPP and the counsel of well-meaning friends and family, I have thought long and hard about quitting the NPP. And I have prayed. I have concluded that it would be wrong to quit.

The NPP needs to be saved from its extremists so that united; it can save Ghana from the NDC. My place, as a Ghanaian patriot and a true member of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition—is in the frontlines of that fight, on the side of principle, commonsense, courtesy, tolerance and the rule of law.

Respectfully, I urge Mr. Esseku and other elders to return to being true elders and to help unite our party for victory in 2016. They should stop being Nana Addo’s men and be once again, NPP men. Our party, if divided, cannot win.

To my party, I urge that we go into 2016 conscious of the eternal truth that we must attract numbers and votes to win. Let us heed Proverbs 24:6 “For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in the multitude of counselors there is safety”. Let us be wise, my fellow elephants, let us be wise.

MAY God bless NPP and Ghana.

Arthur Kobina Kennedy