Paul Afoko
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman, Paul Awentami Afoko, has called on party supporters to remain united and disciplined to help the party’s flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, win the 2028 general election.
According to him, the party has completed the selection of its flagbearer, adding that what is now needed is a winning team to return the NPP to government.
“Our party has already elected Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as our flagbearer and that contest is over. The delegates have spoken. Our responsibility now is clear. We must give our Presidential Candidate a united, disciplined, formidable party capable of carrying our message into every community in Ghana and winning the confidence of the Ghanaian people,” he said.Ghanaian business news
Addressing members after filing his nomination for NPP National Chairmanship, Mr. Afoko said that if elected chairman, he would work tirelessly to ensure Dr. Bawumia wins the presidential election in 2028.
“If you elect me National Chairman, I will work tirelessly with Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to return the New Patriotic Party to government in 2028. The flagbearer and the Chairman do not compete with one another,” he disclosed.
Mr. Afoko indicated that his role would be to build a strong partnership with the flagbearer and to ensure the party’s organisational machinery can convert the national electoral proposition into votes.
“The flagbearer leads our national electoral proposition. The Chairman must ensure that behind him stands a functioning political organisation capable of translating that proposition into votes, and that is the partnership I intend to build,” he stated.
Mr. Afoko said internal contests had created divisions, strained friendships and caused some members to be labelled merely for supporting particular candidates.
He, however, noted that, “There cannot be one NPP for those who supported Candidate A and another NPP for those who supported Candidate B …There is only one New Patriotic Party. And every Patriot must have a place in it.”
Mr. Afoko promised not to use the chairmanship to pursue personal grievances or reward one faction at the expense of others.
“If you elect me National Chairman, I will come into office with no enemies to punish, no scores to settle and no faction to reward at the expense of another,” he stated.
He also appealed to his fellow contestants to regard the election as an internal democratic exercise rather than a battle between political enemies.
“You are not my enemies. You are my brothers and fellow Patriots,” he told them.
“We may compete for a position, but when this election is over, we must still belong to the same family and fight together for the same victory,” he added.
Presenting what he described as a contract with delegates, Mr. Afoko promised not to limit his leadership to any faction, candidate, region or generation.
“I will not be Chairman for one faction. I will not be Chairman for one candidate. I will not be Chairman for one region. I will not be Chairman for one generation,” he declared, and added, “I will be Chairman for every member of the New Patriotic Party.”
By Eric Kombat
