Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman Paul Awentami Afoko has formally outlined his vision to lead the party once again, promising to restore unity, strengthen party structures and position the NPP for a return to power.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, July 14, as part of his campaign for the National Chairman position, Mr. Afoko said the party must embark on a new chapter built on reconciliation, grassroots empowerment and institutional renewal.
He maintained that although he was unable to complete his tenure as National Chairman following his suspension in 2015, his commitment to the NPP never diminished.
“I did not complete my term, that is a matter known to all, but I never abandoned the NPP. Even after my suspension, I continued to support candidates and constituencies. I continued to believe in this party,” he said.
Mr. Afoko stressed that his continued support for the party over the years reflected his unwavering belief in its ideals and its potential to regain political power.
“I continued to hope for its renewal. Today, I say with humility that what we started then, we can do again and do it better. The NPP must return to power, the NPP must return power to its structures,” he added.
His renewed bid comes more than a decade after the NPP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) suspended him indefinitely in October 2015 following a prolonged leadership dispute.
At the time, the party accused him of bringing the NPP into disrepute, failing to cooperate with fellow national executives, disregarding party decisions and acting in ways considered detrimental to the party’s unity and electoral fortunes. The suspension followed recommendations by the party’s Disciplinary Committee, which concluded that he had breached provisions of the NPP Constitution.
The internal crisis coincided with heightened tensions within the party following the fatal acid attack on the NPP’s Upper East Regional Chairman, Adams Mahama, in May 2015. Mr. Afoko’s younger brother, Gregory Afoko, was later convicted in connection with the murder, although Paul Afoko himself was never implicated in the case.
The leadership turmoil later widened with the suspension of then-General Secretary Kwabena Agyepong and Second Vice Chairman Sammy Crabbe in December 2015.
As he seeks a return to the party’s top administrative office, Mr. Afoko says his campaign will focus on healing divisions, rebuilding confidence among party members and restoring the strength of the NPP’s grassroots structures ahead of future elections.
