That, perhaps the 2016 standard bearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo may have underestimated the consequences of conspiring to get his party’s National Chairman suspended and, Mr. Paul Afoko’s capacity to derail his (Nana Addo’s) yet-to-be realized childhood dream of becoming president, is an understatement.
Investigations by The aL-hAJJ have revealed the three-time NPP flag bearer is now regretting his actions and is scheming to have Paul Afoko reinstated in a bid to bring to an end the never-ending bickering in the largest opposition which is threatening to scuttle his (Akufo Addo’s) ambition of leading the country as president.
This unexpected development, according to dependable sources in the party familiar with the goings-on, has also been occasioned by threats coming from the ousted chairman “to put a damper on Nana’s third and possibly last attempt at the presidency in the upcoming elections”.
Mr Afoko, the source revealed, is scheduled to hold the “mother” of all press conferences to expose the 2016 NPP presidential candidate as an ungrateful, wicked, dangerous and untrustworthy being; who should never be allowed to lead this nation.
Heralding the planned exposé Mr Afoko is said to have threatened, include mind-blowing schemes including what led to the gruesome murder of the late Upper East regional chairman of the NPP, Adams Mahama, damning secretly recorded tapes revealing the twice defeated NPP presidential candidate’s abhorrence for non-Akans, how he (Nana Akufo-Addo) plans to run a government to favor his tribesmen in the unlikely event he is elected president and other evil plots against members of his own party, particularly Ashantis perceived to be allies of former President Kufuor.
The business magnate-turned-politician, an insider disclosed to this paper, is only holding-on to get justice in his court case challenging his suspension, which he is much confident of, failure of which; he will start his “journey” of letting Ghanaians know the ugliness of the real goings-on in Ghana’s largest opposition party.
The magnitude of Mr Afoko’s damaging revelations, deep throat sources say, have compelled former President Kufuor, Kwadwo Mpiani and some top NPP gurus to have been prevailing on him (Afoko) to hold onto his horses while they try to get the issues resolved amicably.
Their fears, a source explained, is that Mr Afoko’s exposé would not only puncture Nana Akufo-Addo’s already not-too-good chances at the polls, but could also hurt the party going into future elections.
And, as a precursor to the dropping of his ‘bombs’, the suspended National Chairman last week hinted what is likely to befall some leading members of the NPP in the coming days with regards to the murder of late Chairman Adams Mahama.
Denying his brother, Gregory Afoko’s complicity in the death of Chairman Adams, Paul Afoko said he has empirical evidence that some party members, who have not yet been fingered in the ongoing trial, were rather behind the murder of the late Upper East regional chairman.
“I’m happy that finally the Attorney General’s Department after keeping my brother in custody for close to one year has finally gotten their acts together and say they are now ready for the trial because they have evidence. There are things that will come out at the trial and I have evidence which I have handed to the police. Some members of my party should be prepared, they will enter the dock …I didn’t force them to write letters to me as the National Chairman six months before Adams died, making certain allegations. As I speak they know themselves…we are ready for the trial,” he warned.
Proud of his association with former President Kufuor which also has been among reasons he is being persecuted, Paul Afoko said on Starr Chat with Bola Ray that, he belongs to the John Agyekum Kufuor faction in the NPP because of Kufuor’s principles.
Adding: “I can speak for Kufuor because he has not put himself into the fray and he is above it. Looking at the man and his record…. he falls squarely within the faction that believes in the democratic principles.”
Signaling how deep the resentment in the party is, Mr Afoko openly said he will never meet Nana Akufo-Addo if offered the opportunity because the 2016 NPP flag bearer has demonstrated his dislike for him for which reason he instigated his “illegal” suspension.
“Well the evidence is abundance, isn’t it…when you are in a party and you see that an unconstitutional act has taken place, an illegality has taken place and your presidential candidate immediately goes and pronounces and tries to legitimize that illegitimate thing that has taken place, is that the behavior of somebody who likes me, No I don’t think so,” he added.
And to demonstrate his aversion for the harsh treatment Nana Akufo-Addo and his men have meted out to him, Paul Afoko over the weekend issued a statement to deny ever meeting the NPP 2016 flag bearer soon after President John Mahama delivered the State of Nation Address last week Thursday.
A day after the State of Nation Address, NPP social media commentators aligned to Akufo Addo started circulating a picture of Paul Afoko, Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr Bawumia, Osei Mensah Bonsu, Dominic Ntiwul and Hon Musore in the office of the minority leader at Parliament House to suggest the suspended Chairman met the NPP flag bearer to iron out their differences.
But a statement signed by Spokesperson for the suspended chairman, Nana Yaw Osei, indicated that his boss never met Nana Akufo-Addo.
“The office of the elected national chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul A. Afoko, has learnt with shock a deliberate attempt by some persons within the party to create the wrong impression that there was a meeting in parliament house involving him and others including the flagbearer at the minority leader’s office,” the statement noted.
It added that “If unity is desired for us to win power then it must be worked at genuinely and not through propaganda and falsehood. Please, disregard any such information doing the rounds in the media.”
Mr Afoko together with Kwabena Agyapong and Sammy Crabbe, all perceived allies of Mr Kufuor, were suspended last year from the party for breaching some sections of the NPP’s constitution.
Prior to their suspension, they were accused of working with the ruling National Democratic Congress to deny Nana Akufo-Addo victory in the November 7 polls. Both Afoko and Sammy Crabbe are challenging their suspension in court.
Even though Nana Akufo-Addo and his men have installed one of their own, Freddy Blay as acting National Chairman, Afoko said he is still the chairman of the party, a position that has since been corroborated by Chief of Staff in the Kufuor government, Kwadwo Mpiani.
According to the NPP’s founding member, he does not recognize the sanctions against Afoko, whom he described as “a fine gentleman.”
“He is still the chairman. The party was wrong. Let’s go beyond Afoko…”” Mpiani insisted on Starr Chat on Starr with Bola Ray.
Beaming with confident that justice will be served at the end of the court case, Mr Afoko revealed that in the midst of the event that led to his suspension, Otumfuo Asantehene intervened to avert further escalation of the problem in the party but Nana Akufo-Addo ignored the Ashanti monarch’s effort.
“There was an attempt…but unfortunately it didn’t work out…he [Otumfuo] did speak to [Nana Addo] but it didn’t work out”.
Not only is Afoko threatening to expose the NPP flag bearer, he has also vowed not to fund the party going forward.
“Even the vehicles I bought for the party I am taking them back. I bought pickups for the campaign but I’m no longer giving them out, I’m returning them… I’m no longer going to fund the party,” he noted.
Source: The Al-Hajj
