Former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Afoko, has broken a long silence to issue a stark warning about the party’s weakening electoral position. Speaking at a closed-door consultative meeting with the NPP Regional Executive Committee for Greater Accra on Thursday, May 21, 2026, Afoko asserted that internal complacency has significantly eroded the party’s organizational strength.
Afoko’s remarks come as he embarks on a nationwide tour, engaging with grassroots leaders and regional figures ahead of a potential return to active party politics. His address to the Greater Accra executives was marked by candid criticism of the party’s current trajectory.
“You cannot sit back and say, oh, we are OK. We have lost a lot of ground, a lot of ground,” Afoko stated, urging the party leadership to confront the reality of its declining influence.
The former chairman reminded the executives of the robust organizational framework established during his tenure. He argued that the systems implemented under his leadership were instrumental in paving the way for the NPP’s electoral victory.
“From the time when I was chairman, when with the team that I was elected with at the time, we were able to put everything in place ready for the general elections,” Afoko recalled.
Reflecting on his controversial suspension shortly before the party achieved power, Afoko drew a parallel to a biblical narrative, expressing his disappointment at being sidelined before witnessing the culmination of his efforts.
“As I said yesterday somewhere, I saw the promised land, but I didn’t get there, for reasons that we all know. But that did not stop me from being an NPP member and following the party closely, because I love the party,” he revealed.
Afoko explained that his extended period away from public scrutiny was a deliberate, albeit painful, decision made to safeguard the party’s cohesion during its initial years in government.
“All through the years that I have been silent, that was a deliberate decision I had made. Of course, there was pain at the time,” he stressed.
He recounted an early attempt to speak out in defense of the new administration, which was met with significant backlash from within the party itself.
“The first time I spoke to the media, I just got clapped back… And I said let us stay away [and ] keep quiet. I was asked the question, 100 days have passed. What has the new government achieved? And I said to them, I think you’re asking too much of a new government. I have experienced governments here in Ghana for so many terms, and there is no single government that has come within 100 days and been able to get the whole government formed,” he said.
Afoko reiterated his earlier call for public patience, using a maritime analogy to describe the complexities of governance.
“The ship of state is like a super tanker on the high seas. It cannot just turn around like a sports car. It takes time to turn around, a wide berth. Therefore, I think we should be patient and allow the government time to settle,” Afoko explained.
However, instead of support, Afoko claimed his defense of the presidency was twisted by detractors, forcing him into further isolation.
“Then the comments that followed, Afoko says, ‘Nana Addo has failed’, and that was it. And immediately, I realised, hm, ‘keep quiet, stay away and support as quietly as you can’. And I did,” the former chairman narrated.
Despite his public absence, Afoko disclosed that he continued to support preferred parliamentary candidates, utilizing personal resources and networks to ensure their electoral success.
“There are people who I supported to get into parliament,” he revealed.
With the NPP facing recent electoral challenges, Afoko’s consultative tour is drawing attention from political observers. His engagements are seen as a strategic move to position himself as a unifying figure capable of bridging internal divides and restoring the party’s political footing.
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