Ghana: Opposition Political Party Chairman Paul Afoko indicted by Council of Elders

by Kwabena Opong

The Council of Elders in the NPP September 10 recommended to the Disciplinary Committee that the party’s national chairman Paul Afoko be suspended until the end of the general elections in 2016. This follows a meeting held to discuss reports on the activities of the chairman and General Secretary Kwabena Agyapong since their election in 2013. The move comes only days after NPP flag bearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo warned party faithful against politicking on the radio. He asked that matters concerning the NPP should no longer be discussed on radio as has been the case of late.
Afoko’s recommended suspension among other sanctions were reached after the Council of Elders concluded from a list of events that are believed to have been instigated by or supported by the national chairman and the general secretary. Among the charges against Afoko are the removal of the party’s administrative officers, including the Chief Accountant, Perry Okudzeto, former deputy director of communications and the removal of the security company at the party headquarters. Other infractions include the Afoko family feud with the family of former Upper East region party Chairman Mahama Adams who is suspected to have been killed by a brother of the national chairman. Afoko and Agyapong were also accused of taking some actions unilaterally without the approval of the Council of Elders. Paul Afoko is still at post as the Council of Elders’ recommendation has not yet been carried out.
Afoko is also believed to have instructed his spokesperson to issue a press statement and instigated Baah Achamfuour to go to the police to report a possible malfeasance in the party’s finances by first vice Chairman Freddy Blay and the party’s Treasurer Abankwa Yeboah. The national chairman and the general secretary are accused of ignoring the party’s structures and went to the press and the police about a matter that could have been discussed internally. So far only Afoko has been indicted by the Council of Elders. Kwabena Agyapong was not mentioned in any indictment.
The latest development in the NPP comes at a time flag bearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo is going around the country in his “Arise and Build” tour. He has already toured the Volta and Eastern regions. It is not known if he was at the meeting of the Council of elders but former President Kufuor and ex-chairman Haruna Esseku were reportedly absent at the meeting.
Nana Addo’s warnings notwithstanding, the current development is likely to engender even further radio politicking. So far, a faction in the NPP has emerged requesting that Nana Addo be deselected as the flag bearer for the 2016 general elections.

Posted by on Sep 16 2015. Filed under African News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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