Afoko boys withdraw

Lawyers of the three supporters of Paul Afoko, the suspended National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who sued the leadership of the party – including the presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo – have withdrawn the case.

The plaintiffs – Tweneboa Kodua Emmanuel, Stephen Owusu and Joseph Oppong – all from the Ashanti Region – had filed a notice dated November 16, 2015, through their lawyers at the Human Rights Court in Accra to discontinue the case against the party.

They had filed a motion for injunction seeking to restrain the party from suspending Mr. Afoko as chairman of the NPP.

Aside Nana Akufo-Addo, 29 other NPP chieftains were cited as defendants to the action, notable among them were Freddie Blay, First Vice-Chairman acting as Chairman; members of the National Executive Committee (NEC); former President John Agyekum Kufuor and F.F. Anto, 3rd National Vice Chairman.

Others are Abankwa Yeboah, National Treasurer; Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Minority Leader; John Boadu, National Organizer and C.K. Tedam, Chairman of the party’s Council of Elders.

The plaintiffs had also wanted the court to restrain the NPP from holding out Mr. Blay as Acting Chairman, who has been convening and attending meetings without the suspended Chairman, Mr. Afoko being the convener of those meetings.

The three were also asking the court to restrain the defendants from taking decisions in any meeting not convened by Mr. Afoko, until the case was finally determined.

At the hearing of the case yesterday, lawyers for the plaintiffs said they were no longer interested in pursuing the matter.

The notice, filed at 10 am on November 18, 2015 stated, “Please take note that the plaintiffs herein hereby discontinue the above suit and any other process or processes filed thereof against the defendants with liberty to reapply.”

As a result, Justice Anthony Yeboah struck out the case and awarded a GH¢2,000 cost against the plaintiffs.

Earlier, Nana Obiri Boahene representing some of the defendants, wanted the court to award a GH¢10,000 cost against the applicants but the trial judge rejected the request explaining that the issue was a family affair and needed not inflame passions.

Mr. Godfred Dame represented the NPP.