Paul Afoko
Former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Awentami Afoko, has formally announced his intention to contest for the party’s National Chairmanship with a pledge to help the NPP recapture power from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2028 election.
Mr. Afoko, who announced this at a press conference on Tuesday in Accra, disclosed that his vision is anchored on three key pillars: reuniting, rebuilding and recapturing political power. He said his decision followed months of extensive consultations with the party’s leadership and grassroots members across the country.
According to him, he has engaged key stakeholders within the party, including former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Akufo-Addo, the party’s 2024 presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Members of Parliament and parliamentary candidates, as well as several elders of the party.
Mr. Afoko said the feedback from the consultations shaped his desire around the theme “Reunite, Rebuild and Recapture,” aimed at restoring unity and repositioning the party to unseat the NDC in the 2028 election, rather than personal ambition.
He pledged to restore what he described as the party’s enduring values of respect, discipline, tolerance, service and loyalty, adding that he would lead a process of reconciling members of the party rather than encouraging factionalism within the party.
“I am not coming to lead one faction against another. I am coming to help reconcile the party. I am coming to build bridges across generations, across regions, across tendencies and across camps among all genuine party people who believe in our tradition.
“We cannot win when old wounds remain open. We cannot win when loyal members feel excluded, humiliated, ignored or pushed aside. We cannot win when our internal competition becomes internal destruction,” he stated.
Mr. Afoko stated that he would strengthen the party’s structures from the polling station level to the national level, as the success of the NPP in the next elections largely depends on the grassroots of the party.
“No political party wins power by wishful thinking. Parties win through organisation, strong structures, constituency strength, credible data, disciplined messaging and respect for the grassroots,” he said.
He promised that, if elected, he would serve as “a team player, a field commander, a reconciler, an organiser, a fundraiser, a disciplinarian, a listener and a servant of the party.”
Mr. Afoko further urged the party to reconnect with the business community, acknowledging that the NPP had lost the confidence of many Ghanaians following the 2024 general election, but indicated that the “NPP remained the natural home of business, enterprise, innovation and wealth creation.”
He mentioned that though most Ghanaians felt disappointed about the NPP, leadership of the party should be humble to listen and learn from mistakes made.
Mr. Afoko stressed that the youth should be given greater opportunities within the party, adding that the party must embrace innovation and prepare them for emerging jobs. He also urged the NPP not to neglect the central role of women in the party’s quest to recapture power in 2028.
Mr. Afoko further rejected attempts to place the party’s 2024 electoral defeat solely on the shoulders of its presidential candidate, stating that elections are won and lost through several factors, including organisation, communication, economic conditions, public trust and grassroots morale.
“After internal elections, we must all stand under one banner, one flag, the NPP, Ghana needs a strong NPP. Our democracy needs a responsible opposition, and we must show that we have learned our lessons and are ready to govern again with humility, competence, compassion and seriousness.
“The task ahead is not his alone. No presidential candidate can win without a united party, strong organisation, disciplined structures, motivated grassroots and a parliamentary strategy that works constituency by constituency. The duty before us now is not to blame, the duty before us is to rebuild this party,” Mr. Afoko stated.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) will hold its national delegates conference to elect national officers and consider proposed amendments to the party’s constitution on Saturday, September 19, 2026 in Kumasi.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah