Afoko stops NPP probe with court injunction

Attempts by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to drag Paul Afoko, the National Chairman of the party to its disciplinary committee has hit a snag as an unnamed party member has slapped the committee with a court injunction, the Republic Newspaper can confirm.

The injunction prays the court that the processes being used as a means to suspend and eventually impeach the National Chairman was wrong and unfair. He is being accused of threatening the cohesion of the main opposition party by his activities as topmost administrator of the party.

The hearing of the Committee had earlier been scheduled for October 12, 2015, but lawyers of Paul Afoko challenged the jurisdiction of the few Council of Elders of the party who recommended the disciplinary committee to quiz Paul Afoko and possibly impeach the top man of the NPP. The latest obstacle to the planned suspension of the National Chairman is the injunction.

The NPP hierarchy, particularly those loyal to the flagbearer Akufo-Addo, have been criticized for witch-hunting the embattled Chairman and the General Secretary. Prior to the recommendation for suspension about 5 members of the over 34 Council of Elders party quickly met to evaluate the complaints brought against Paul Afoko and consequently recommended the disciplinary committee to suspend him.

The decision to drag Afoko to the disciplinary committee of the main opposition party was triggered by Nana Fredua Agyeman, a cousin of the flagbearer of NPP Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo urging the party hierarchy to get rid of the National Chairman and possibly the General Secretary, Kwabena Agyei Agyapong; all cited for pursuing an anti-Akufo Addo agenda.

The petition cites alleged detrimental actions taken by the National Chairman against the NPP, including the impasse that caused the reported murder of the Upper Eastern Regional Chairman of the party Adams Mahama by Paul Afoko’s brother.

Paul Afoko is also said to be responsible for the media war that has seriously damaged the party’s image as his critics contend that keeping him and the Kwabena Agyapong at post would negatively affect the political fortunes of the party as it heads into the 2016 general elections.

The Republic Newspaper can report an unappeased bad blood between the Akufo Addo camp and loyalists of the Mr. Afoko and Mr. Agyapong. The Akufo Addo camp believes the two are working secretly to scuttle the flagbearer’s presidential ambition in 2016.

The numerous violent confrontations between the factions in the party resulted in the majority Akufo Addo camp calling for the impeachment of the two top executives.

Some months ago, Akufo-Addo was alleged to have endorsed a plan by his loyalists to collect signatures of party members across the country to a petition calling for the unprecedented impeachment drive.

In a move to mend the cracked relationship between him and the two executives, and perhaps the bad press received by the impeachment move, this paper gathered that Akuffo Addo, upon his return from his recent three-week UK trip, was forced to call for his loyalists to suspend the processes to aimed at impeaching the two top executives of the party. However, critics have told this paper that Akufo Addo secretly urges people on to get rid of the two from their positions in the party.

This paper has gathered from reliable sources that Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyapong have refused to face the disciplinary committee because they believe they were unduly being hounded.

The ageing and twice-defeated Akufo Addo has earned serious criticisms within his party as being behind the divisions threatening to tear the party apart. In public, he is said to carry an air of reconciliation, however, secretly, he is alleged to be plotting to get rid of all individuals perceived to be opposed to his leadership.

The NPP is currently torn between two camps, namely the Akufo Addo camp and the John Kufuor/Alan Kyeremanteng camp. Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyapong are said to be aligned to the John Kufuor/Kyeremanteng camp.

Loyalists of this Kufuor/ Alan camps are said to be unhappy to be lead by Akufo Addo. Their reservations are varied; some believe his character does not warrant the leadership role vested in him while others feel he is too old and frail to lead the party to the presidential polls in 2016.