Two national officers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Afoko, National Chairman and Kwabena Agyepong, General Secretary, face a possible vote of no confidence from the rank and file of the party over the handling of affairs in the main opposition party.
Yesterday several regional executive committees of the party met and passed a 'no confidence' vote to ask them to step aside in view of the unending furore in the party.
So far, six regions—Upper West, Volta, Greater Accra, Eastern, Western and Central—have all voted unanimously to remove the NPP National Chairman and the General Secretary from office. Ashanti, Northern and Upper East Regions have the next three days to decide.
The chairman of the Upper East Region, Adams Mahama, lost his life through acid attack last week Thursday.
It was only in the Brong-Ahafo Region that the members wanted the two officers to remain in office.
The delegates believe that looking at the myriad problems facing the party the positions of the National Chairman and the General Secretary have become untenable.
They claim that the party had not known peace since the two took over, rebuffing all entreaties to broker peace.
Ashanti Region
Wontumi addressing the media after the meeting
The executives of the NPP in the 47 constituencies in the Ashanti Region have been told to come out with their opinion as to whether Afoko and Agyepong should be maintained as chairman and secretary respectively or made to step down.
This decision was reached during a crunch meeting of the party to decide the best way forward for the largest opposition political grouping in the country, following the murder of the Upper East Regional Chairman.
The meeting was held behind closed door at the Georgia Hotel in Kumasi on Monday.
It was graced by NPP MPs, 16 executives from each constituency, constituency chairmen and regional executives of the party.
According to Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, affectionately called Wontumi, 'If I have it in my own right, I will respectfully appeal to Afoko and Agyepong to step down in the interest and growth of the party, but the party doesn't belong to me alone.
'So as a democratic party, the Ashanti Regional executives of the NPP, who are concerned about what is going on, have therefore tasked the various constituencies to come out with their own opinion about what should be the fate of the two men.'
Wontumi said the 47 constituencies were expected to come out with their verdict 'and whatever they decide on in three days' time will be the official decision of the party in the region.'
Tension
Reports gathered by DAILY GUIDE indicated that tension was at boiling point for most parts of the meeting which lasted for some hours, as some party members openly clashed about the topic being discussed.
Briefing the media later, Mr Bernard Antwi-Boasiako stated that he was cock sure that Afoko and Agyepong had no hand in the brutal murder of Adams Mahama.
He, however, said the idea of the party deciding the fate of Afoko and Agyepong was reached because the two gentlemen had been linked with the death of Adams Mahama by the public across the country.
Hero
The NPP regional chairman said the late Adams Mahama had become a hero in the party as he was killed because of his love and sacrifices for the NPP.
'Adams Mahama has attained the level of Dombo, Busia and Danquah in the NPP,' Wontumi noted, disclosing that the NPP would celebrate the death of Mr Mahama on May 21 every year.
Afoko Support
Meanwhile, the Fomena Constituency NPP Chairman, Akwasi Nti Asamoah, has vowed to resist any attempt by the party to force Afoko and Agyepong to step down. In his view, they had done no wrong.
He indicated that Adams Mahama's death is a criminal matter so the police should be made to thoroughly investigate the case and prosecute anyone that would be found having a hand in the man's death.
Mr Nti Asamoah said since the police had not finished their investigations, it would be unfair for the party to force the two national officers to step down.
No Impeachment
In a related development, the Ashanti Regional NPP has stated categorically that it did not organise the Monday crunch meeting in Kumasi to impeach the two officers.
A release authored by the regional scribe, Sam Pyne, explained that the meeting was held to discuss the way forward for the party and what the NPP should do to win the 2016 presidential election.
According to him, after lengthy discussions, the party agreed that the various constituencies should in three days' time give their opinions about how the party should be run after the death of Adams Mahama.
Central Region
Drama unfolded at Mankessim in the Mfantseman Constituency of the Central Region on Monday when executives of the NPP resolved that Messrs Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong should step aside in a bid to end the simmering tension and mistrust within the party.
The executives passed the resolution at a meeting which was attended by constituency and regional executives, Council of Elders, National Council Members as well as sitting MPs of the party from the area.
The Regional Secretary, Kwamena Duncan, took some time to explain the party's constitution to the executives present and the need to compel the two to step aside for the interest of the party.
He cited a number of instances where confusion had occurred in the party since the two men assumed office about a year ago.
The executives were not happy about the decision of the General Secretary and the National Chairman to appoint monitors for the party's recent parliamentary vetting without consulting the National Council of the NPP on their decision.
Speaking at the meeting, the regional chairman, Robert Kutin, called for unity within the party to ensure total victory in the 2016 general elections.
Earlier, a two-hour meeting was held between the executives and the aspiring parliamentary candidates in the region to sign an undertaking to support any aspirants who would be elected as the parliamentary candidates in the various constituencies.
Western Region
Some leading members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Western Region yesterday held a crunch meeting in Takoradi to apparently discuss the current happenings in the party and the way forward.
The agenda for the closed door meeting was not immediately known.
However, a source at the meeting told DAILY GUIDE that it was, among other things, to decide the fate of Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong.
The source added that since the current happenings in the party had been attributed largely to the alleged attitudes of the National Chairman and the General Secretary, it would be good for the two to step aside.
Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong had been fingered by some party stalwarts as being behind the death of the Upper East Regional Chairman of the NPP last Thursday.
“Because of the incident last Thursday, it will be in the best interest of Mr Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong to step aside,” the source added.
It continued, “Now the National Chairman and the General Secretary can’t go to the office without tight security.”
The meeting was attended by regional executive committee members, chairmen of the constituencies, National Council representatives as well as the NPP MPs in the region.
Eastern Region
From the Eastern Region, report indicates that the regional executive committee of the party on Monday unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong in view of the late Adams Mahama's death.
This decision was taken when the Regional Chairman, Kiston Kissi, through the Regional Secretary, Paul Aboagye, held an emergency meeting to discuss “matters of national concern, which demand prompt attention.”
DAILY GUIDE gathered that out of the 26 MPs in the region, only four were present and 28 constituency chairmen out of the 33 were also present.
The decision, according to the source, would aid the party’s Council of Elders to take a definite decision on the fate of Messrs Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong.
When contacted by DAILY GUIDE, Mr Kiston Kissi underscored: “We only met to discuss the way forward concerning the upcoming parliamentary primaries and nothing else again.”
The Eastern Regional Youth Organiser, Jerry Osei Opoku, in a press release to calm the tension that has mounted in the party, advised members to be careful of their utterances in times like this.
“I implore all well-meaning party faithful, especially the youth of Eastern Region, to remain resolute and steadfast in these trying times as we seek justice and lasting peace in the NPP in order to salvage Ghana,” he urged.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi; Daniel Bampoe, Koforidua; Sarah Afful, Mankessim & Emannuel Opoku, Takoradi
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