New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairperson hopeful Paul Afoko has downplayed recent opinion polls on the party’s upcoming chairmanship contest, arguing that only the votes of delegates on October 3 will accurately determine the race.
Mr Afoko’s position comes after a Global InfoAnalytics survey placed former NPP General Secretary John Boadu ahead of the other contenders in the contest.
The August 20, 2026 survey showed Mr Boadu leading with 27% support among NPP voters, followed by former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko with 15%, while Mr Afoko polled 10%.
However, Mr Afoko said the figures did not influence his assessment of the race, insisting that his direct interactions with delegates had given him confidence about his chances.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a thanksgiving service for newly elected Ashanti Regional Executives at Gracefields Chapel in the Nhyiaeso Constituency, he said he was relying on the feedback from delegates rather than opinion surveys.
“I don’t believe in any polls. The only poll I believe in is the October 3 poll here in Kumasi,” he said.
Mr Afoko maintained that his campaign message was resonating with delegates in the constituencies and regions he had visited.
He said opinion polls could not fully capture the intentions of individual delegates, particularly where respondents might not necessarily disclose their actual voting preferences.
“All other polls are just speculation. And as they say, you can’t enter into a person’s mind and know whether they are telling you the truth or not,” he added.
The NPP is expected to elect new national executives on October 3, with the chairperson position attracting several prominent figures within the party.
For Mr Afoko, the contest will ultimately be settled not by survey figures but by the delegates who will cast their ballots on election day.
He is therefore continuing his campaign by engaging delegates directly and promoting his vision for the party ahead of the national elections.
