Okudzeto out, Awuni In

*as Afoko begins shake up at NPP Headquarters*

It is said that whenever there is a regime change, the old guard and those loyal to the old guard feel unsecure about the positions they held in the previous regime. The new regime, although new and settling in, needs to feel as if the remaining members of the old regime will be loyal to them otherwise they will be replaced.


Information reaching the Ghanaian Palaver suggests that there is an ongoing shakeup in the NPP Headquarters with some strategic positions being replaced. Our source at the NPP Headquarters disclosed to us that the long serving grey haired Acting Director of Communications, who stepped into the shoes of Nana AKomea, Perry Okudzeto has been relieved of his post, and has been replaced by the controversial Andrew Awuni, who is well known for campaigning against the Fortiz/Merbank deal.


This comes on the back of the old executives handing over formally to the new executives after a series of meetings on April 23, 2014. A day before that the new Chairman of NPP, Paul Afoko, held a press conference to announce his arrival at the NPP Headquarters and stamped his authority as he repeatedly referred to himself as the “Chairman and Leader of the Party”, as if that was not obvious enough.

Speculation amongst party members is that Mr. Afoko belongs to the Alan Kyeremanten camp and that the ongoing shake up of the staff of the Headquarters of Ghana’s largest opposition party is part of his plans to ensure his preferred candidate is elected as the NPP’s flagbearer in a few months. Mr. Afoko, however, dispelled any rumours of having a preference in the flagbearership race, in his press conference. He maintained that he was neutral and admonished potential candidates and their supporters to stop campaigning and talking on radio.


Meanwhile, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah and Charles Owiredu, who are the Directors of Elections and International Affairs respectively, are expected to follow Okudzeto out of the NPP Headquarters in due course.