Physician and former political activist, Dr Arthur Kennedy, has expressed optimism in the potential of newly elected NPP Flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to become an effective President, having served as Vice President.

Dr Bawumia, who served as Vice President in the Akufo-Addo administration for 8 years, lost his bid to succeed President Akufo-Addo in 2024, and his party, the NPP, over the weekend reaffirmed its confidence in him by giving him an overwhelming endorsement in the party's primaries to continue as its presidential candidate for the next election in 2028.

Speaking on Joy News during a discussion on Bawumia's victory in the NPP primaries, Dr. Arthur Kennedy, who has been a fierce critic of President Akufo-Addo and his government, said Dr. Bawumia deserves a chance in his bid to serve as President.

"We should all give Dr Mahamudu Bawumia a chance because a vice President and a Presidential candidate are normally different people," said Arthur Kennedy, and gave examples of how some Vice Presidents turned out to be effective.

"Anwar Sadat was said to be cowardly as Nasser's vice, but he turned out to be a very effective President in his own right."

"Richard Nixon was not a very impressive Vice President to Dwight Eisenhower, but he did an excellent job as President, until Watergate," he added.

Dr Arthur Kennedy once served as a senior campaign official for Nana Akufo-Addo, but over the years, he has fallen out with the party amidst his criticism of Akufo-Addo's leadership and his government.

His public expression of confidence in Dr Bawumia's potential is a sharp departure from his criticism of Akufo-Addo and some of his policies.