Former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Paul Afoko, has resurfaced after years of political silence, delivering a sharp critique of the party’s internal condition and warning that complacency has significantly weakened its electoral strength.
Speaking during a closed-door consultative meeting with the NPP Regional Executive Committee in Accra on Thursday, May 21, 2026, Mr Afoko said the party could no longer ignore what he described as a steady structural decline.
“You cannot sit back and say we are OK. We have lost a lot of ground,” he told party executives.
The former chairman’s meeting forms part of a broader nationwide consultation tour ahead of his expected return to active frontline politics within the party.
Reflecting on his tenure as National Chairman, Mr Afoko argued that the organisational systems established under his leadership created the foundation that later helped propel the party into government.
“During our time as national executives, we put key structures in place ahead of the general elections,” he stated.
Mr Afoko also revisited the circumstances surrounding his controversial suspension from office before the party’s electoral victory, comparing his experience to seeing the “promised land” without reaching it.
“I saw the promised land, but I did not get there for reasons we all know. However, that never stopped me from remaining loyal to the party because I love the NPP,” he said.
Opening up about his years away from public attention, the former chairman explained that his silence was a deliberate decision intended to preserve party unity during the early years of the NPP administration.
“All these years of silence were intentional. There was pain, of course, but I believed it was necessary,” he noted.
Mr Afoko recounted how an earlier attempt to publicly defend the newly elected government resulted in backlash from sections of the party. According to him, his comments urging patience with the administration were misrepresented by critics.
He recalled defending the government after being asked about its performance within its first 100 days in office.
“I said no government can transform the country within 100 days. Governance takes time,” he explained.
Using a maritime analogy, Mr Afoko stressed the complexity of managing a state.
“The ship of state is like a super tanker on the high seas. It cannot turn around like a sports car. It takes time,” he stated.
According to him, subsequent reactions to his comments convinced him to retreat from public engagement and continue supporting the party quietly from behind the scenes.
Despite his absence from active politics, Mr Afoko revealed that he continued to support parliamentary candidates financially and strategically over the years.
“There are people I supported to get into Parliament,” he disclosed.
Political observers are closely monitoring Mr Afoko’s renewed engagements, with many interpreting his re-emergence as an attempt to reposition himself as a unifying figure capable of helping the NPP rebuild internal cohesion and recover lost political ground following recent electoral challenges.
