'I was angry over my suspension' – Paul Afoko
New Patriotic Party (NPP) national chairman hopeful, Paul Afoko, says he has forgiven individuals he holds responsible for his suspension from the party, although he admitted that he was deeply hurt and angry when the decision was taken.
Mr. Afoko was suspended indefinitely as NPP National Chairman in October 2015, barely a year after he was elected to the position in 2014.
The suspension followed a recommendation from the party’s Disciplinary Committee after petitions were filed against him by some party members, which was subsequently approved by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
Speaking at the formal launch of his campaign and unveiling of his vision for the NPP on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Mr. Afoko said he had moved beyond the experience and was now focused on helping the party overcome its current challenges.
Reflecting on the circumstances surrounding his suspension, he admitted that he initially felt betrayed because he believed the mandate given to him by party delegates had been taken away.
“I wouldn’t lie that I wasn’t angry at some point. I was. At the time of the suspensions, yes, I was angry. Because I was angry that a mandate that had been given to me by the party was yanked away from me by a few people,” he said.
However, Mr. Afoko said he had chosen not to dwell on the past, stressing that the current state of the party required strategic thinking and collective action rather than resentment.
“But that’s gone. The state of the party will not allow us to dwell on emotions. Emotions must give way to thinking, to strategic thinking, to how we can help our party to come out of this situation,” he stated.
“I have forgiven completely. God knows my heart. My heart is clean and clear,” he added.
The former NPP chairman aspirant attributed some of the party’s internal difficulties to what he described as negative factionalism, warning that destructive divisions could undermine the party’s efforts to regain power.
“Anybody who sits within this party and thinks that factionalism is good for the party, and I mean the negative aspects of factionalism, that person doesn’t love NPP,” he said.
Mr. Afoko acknowledged that factions exist in every political organisation but argued that internal groupings should serve as platforms for exchanging ideas rather than creating divisions.
“I will not say factionalism doesn’t exist. You stated it. Factionalism exists even in a one-party state,” he said.
He called for constructive debates within the NPP, saying healthy disagreements could help the party develop stronger policies and strategies.
“Let’s have healthy debate within our party. That is where we distill ideas and come out with something wonderful,” he added.
Mr. Afoko said the NPP’s declining parliamentary fortunes should serve as a wake-up call for members to prioritise unity and party rebuilding over personal disagreements.
“We came from 169 seats to 137 to 87. Is this a wonderful place to be for the NPP? It cannot be,” he said.
He urged party members to put aside bitterness and work together to restore the party’s strength.
“As a party, let’s be true to ourselves. Let’s be truthful and speak to each other with love and understanding that we want to bring ourselves out of this hole in which we are,” he stated.
Mr. Afoko concluded by reaffirming his readiness to serve the party, saying: “I’m ready to serve. There’s no more bitterness. There’s no more anger.”