New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman hopeful Paul Afoko says he no longer harbours resentment over his suspension from the party and is instead focused on helping rebuild the NPP ahead of future elections.
Afoko, who was suspended indefinitely as National Chairman in October 2015, made the remarks during the official launch of his campaign and the presentation of his vision for the party on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
The former National Chairman was elected to the position in 2014 but was suspended a year later after the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) accepted recommendations from its Disciplinary Committee following petitions filed by some party members.
Reflecting on the episode, Afoko admitted that he was deeply hurt and angry when the decision was taken because he believed the mandate entrusted to him by party delegates had been unfairly taken away.
“I wouldn’t lie that I wasn’t angry at some point. I was. At the time of the suspensions, yes, I was angry. Because I was angry that a mandate that had been given to me by the party was yanked away from me by a few people,” he said.
Despite those feelings, Afoko said he has moved on and believes the party’s current challenges require members to focus on rebuilding rather than revisiting old disputes.
“But that’s gone. The state of the party will not allow us to dwell on emotions. Emotions must give way to thinking, to strategic thinking, to how we can help our party to come out of this situation,” he stated.
He further declared that he had completely forgiven those involved in the decision.
“I have forgiven completely. God knows my heart. My heart is clean and clear,” he added.
Afoko also cautioned against what he described as destructive factionalism within the NPP, arguing that internal divisions have contributed to the party’s recent electoral setbacks.
According to him, while differences of opinion are natural in every political party, they should be managed constructively and guided by the collective interest of the organisation.
“Anybody who sits within this party and thinks that factionalism is good for the party, and I mean the negative aspects of factionalism, that person doesn’t love NPP,” he said.
He acknowledged that factions exist in every political organisation but stressed that they should be used to encourage healthy debate and generate ideas rather than weaken the party.
“Let’s have healthy debate within our party. That is where we distill ideas and come out with something wonderful,” Afoko noted.
The former chairman also pointed to the NPP’s declining parliamentary representation over recent elections, saying it should serve as a wake-up call for members to prioritise unity.
“We came from 169 seats to 137 to 87. Is this a wonderful place to be for the NPP? It cannot be,” he said.
He urged party supporters and leaders to set aside personal grievances and work together to reposition the NPP.
“As a party, let’s be true to ourselves. Let’s be truthful and speak to each other with love and understanding that we want to bring ourselves out of this hole in which we are,” he said.
Afoko concluded by assuring party members of his commitment to serve, declaring, “I’m ready to serve. There’s no more bitterness. There’s no more anger.”
