Afoko’s fate can only be decided by delegates – Aide

The campaign team of Mr. Paul Afoko, a lead aspirant for the national chairmanship position of the Opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), says no group can determine the fate of the businessman except the party’s delegates.

His Aide, Mireku Duker, in an interview with Kumasi-based Ultimate Radio, accused the party’s vetting committee of unnecessarily delaying the process to vet Mr. Afoko. His comments come after five disqualified aspirants who appealed their disqualification were cleared to contest. That of Mr. Afoko was, however, withheld indefinitely for the party to carry out further investigations.

Mr. Afoko could not sail through vetting following a petition against him, suggesting he had been convicted before in the UK and Ghana. The NPP’s Constitution bars ex-convicts from filing for executive positions. Mr. Afoko, earlier in a statement, stated that he is a victim of a smear campaign within the NPP.

There are massive campaigns especially from various groups, against attempts by the party to disqualify the businessman and a financier of the party.

Mr. Mireku Duker, a former MCE for Tarkwa-Nsuem and now Aide to Paul Afoko, told Ultimate Radio the allegations making rounds about his boss were all false and contended that the fate of Mr. Afoko will be decided by the delegates and not by the vetting committee. He says delegates must be allowed to make their own judgment on Mr. Afoko.

Mr. Afoko is scheduled to make another appearance before the Committee, which is investigating the petition against him. But Mr. Duker says the claims are baseless.

The NPP goes to its national congress on April 12 to elect various national executives. Mr. Paul Afoko, Stephen Ntim, current Chairman Jake Obetsebi Lamptey and his 2nd Vice, Fred Oware, are all vying for the National Chairmanship position.