Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman, Paul Awentami Afoko, has called on members of the party to set aside personal grievances and work towards unity, while presenting his political experience and leadership record as assets that could contribute to the party’s future direction.
Speaking in an interview with JoyNews’ Kojo Brace, Mr Afoko said he did not have a simple solution that could immediately resolve divisions within the party, but urged members to consider reconciliation and collective interest above individual disagreements.
“I don’t have a magic wand, or I am not a magician who will come in and wave a magic wand and say unite, and everybody will unite,” Mr Afoko said.
He explained that rebuilding unity would require a conscious decision by party members to move beyond past hurts and emotional reactions, which he believes can affect objective decision-making.
“But I will say to people to see me as an example: put your hurt aside, because emotions create this. If you put your head and mind to it, you will realise that the minute you bring the heart into it, you are distorting it, and power doesn’t like that,” he stated.
Mr Afoko said he was offering himself as an example because of his long association with the NPP and his understanding of the party’s structures, history and political traditions.
“For me, I will put myself forward as someone who has experience. I have experienced this party across hand,” he said.
The former chairman noted that his involvement in the NPP began long before he became the party’s national leader.
He said he served the party at senior levels, including as a member of the National Finance Committee, before taking up the chairmanship position.
Mr Afoko also highlighted his family’s historical connection to Ghanaian politics and the NPP tradition, saying his political background was shaped by generations of involvement in public service.
He said his father was an elected member of the Council of State, while his uncle, his father’s direct brother, served as a member of the Legislative Assembly representing the Northern People’s Party (NPP) before various political traditions later came together to form the current New Patriotic Party.
According to Mr Afoko, these experiences have given him a deep understanding of the party’s evolution and organisational structures.
“I have experience. I have it in my DNA,” he said.
Mr Afoko also pointed to the NPP’s victory in the 2016 general election, describing it as a major achievement that reflected his leadership and the collective work of party members.
He said he played a central role in preparing the party for the election, which resulted in what he described as a “resounding victory”.
“I have delivered a resounding victory, I mean my leadership, because I have done everything for the 2016 election,” he said.
The former chairman noted that the NPP’s performance in 2016, including its parliamentary majority and presidential victory, demonstrated what could be achieved when the party worked together.
However, he acknowledged that electoral success was not the work of one person alone, maintaining that party structures and members at all levels contributed to the outcome.
While he acknowledged that unity cannot be created through a single intervention, Mr Afoko said members must make deliberate efforts to overcome divisions and focus on rebuilding the party.
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