The suspended national chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Paul Afoko has said there were factions in the NPP and that he belongs to the “Kufuor faction”.
According to him, it would be “fictional” for anybody to say that there is no such thing going on in the party.
Failing however to name the factions in the party, Mr Afoko said Wednesday evening on Starr FM that, he belonged to the faction that believed in the abiding principles of the party.
“The faction I belong to is the faction that believes in the abiding principles of the party. I believe in the democratic principles of tolerance. I belong to the faction of President Kufuor. He is a quintessential diplomat and democrat,” he said.
“…looking at the man, his record, his time as president of the country and after that, he falls squarely within the faction that believes in the democratic principles. He is a friend, a mentor; he is somebody I respect deeply. He has always told me to be patient and tolerant…keep on praying.” Mr Afoko added.
Hostility between him and Nana Addo
Mr Afoko however noted that there was a feeling of hostility between him and the flagbearer of the party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, citing the role the latter played in ensuring that an “illegality” took place in the party.
According to him, it was evident that the NPP’s flagbearer did not like him.
Asked if he liked Nana Addo, Mr Afoko had this to say: “We don’t have to be friends to work in a political party. We don’t have to be friends. We have an objective, we share a platform, a political platform and we work to an end.”
When pushed further, he noted that, “when you sit down in a party and you suddenly see that an unconstitutional act has taken place, an illegality has taken place, and a presidential candidate goes immediately and pronounces, trying to legitimise that illegitimate thing that has taken place, is this the behaviour of somebody who likes someone? No, I don’t think so.”
I’m still chairman
Mr Afoko reiterated that he was still chairman of the party and that he would cease to be chairman if the party’s constitution was followed to the letter.
“I’m still the chairman of the party because our constitution states very clearly…I have said this over and over again I am the national chairman of the NPP. End of story”, he said.
“I cease to be the chairman of the NPP under two conditions. One, when my tenure is over in 2018 or two, the same delegates go and sit in another conference and vote by over 65 per cent to say they don’t want me I should go. That’s what our constitution says,” he added.
Asked if he still attends meetings in the capacity of party chairman, Mr Afoko cited security reasons for his failure to do so.
“I don’t attend meetings anymore and for very good reasons. I think anybody who lives in this country should know that the last time the general secretary who happens to be outside Ghana at the moment went to the party headquarters they smashed his car. It is about it,” he said.
