Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman Paul Afoko has spoken about his reaction to seeing former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on television, recalling a period when tensions between the two figures were particularly high.
According to Afoko, whenever he came across Akufo-Addo appearing on television during that period, his response was simple: he would change the channel.
The comment offers a glimpse into the strained political relationship that existed between Afoko and Akufo-Addo during a turbulent period in the NPP.
Afoko was elected National Chairman of the NPP in 2014, while Akufo-Addo was the party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2016 general elections. Their relationship later became increasingly difficult, with divisions within the party emerging over its leadership and internal affairs.
Afoko and former NPP General Secretary Kwabena Agyepong became central figures in the party’s internal disputes. Their positions and relationship with the party’s presidential candidate became the subject of intense political debate.
At the time, Afoko was also reported to have expressed reservations about Akufo-Addo’s presidential ambitions. In one widely reported interview, Afoko said he could not say for certain whether he would vote for Akufo-Addo, stressing that his vote was secret.
The tensions eventually contributed to a major internal crisis within the NPP, with efforts made to remove Afoko from his position as National Chairman. The dispute became one of the most closely watched internal battles within the party ahead of the 2016 elections.
Despite the divisions, political developments later created opportunities for reconciliation. Reports in 2015 suggested that Akufo-Addo had begun making efforts to ease tensions with Afoko and Agyepong as the party prepared for the 2016 election campaign.
Afoko’s latest recollection therefore provides an interesting look back at the political tensions that once defined his relationship with Akufo-Addo.
His remark about changing the television channel reflects just how uncomfortable the relationship had become at the time. It also illustrates the extent to which internal political disagreements can affect relationships between senior members of the same political organisation.
The NPP eventually went into the 2016 general election under Akufo-Addo’s leadership and secured a decisive victory over the National Democratic Congress (NDC), with Akufo-Addo becoming president.
Afoko, however, remained an important figure in the party’s history, particularly because of his election as chairman and the subsequent leadership crisis that surrounded his tenure.
Looking back at that period, his account provides another perspective on the disagreements that shaped the NPP before its eventual electoral victory.
The relationship between Afoko and Akufo-Addo has since evolved, with later reports indicating a more cordial relationship between the two political figures.
Afoko’s recollection is therefore not simply about changing a television channel. It also serves as a reminder of a particularly contentious chapter in the history of the NPP, when disagreements among senior party figures threatened to deepen divisions within the organisation.
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Source: Thepressradio.com
