The newly elected National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Paul Afoko says his main agenda for the NPP now is to restructure, rebrand and rejuvenate the opposition party.

He says modifying the party's operational strategies is the surest way to recapturing power from the NDC in 2016.

Paul Afoko and nine others were elected at the party’s delegates conference in Tamale, Saturday, to manage the affairs of the party for four years with the utmost objective of winning the 2016 general elections.  

The newly elected executives are Paul Afoko, Chairman; Freddy Blay, Sammy Crabbe and F.F. Antoh, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Vice Chairmen respectively; Kwabena Agyepong, General Secretary; John Boadu, National Organiser; Otiko Djaba, Women’s Organiser; Sammy Awuku, Youth Organiser; Kwabena Abankwa Yeboah, Treasurer; and Kamal Deen Abdulai, National NASARA Coordinator.

In an interview with Adom TV on MultiTV, Mr. Paul Afoko said there is the need to dissolve all parallel groups within the party and unite for victory in 2016.

He suggested that the party goes through some modification processes to make it more efficient for the battle ahead.

“As we go on, evolve, change and modify, we will get to that point where we are in power and we will stay in power for as long as we remain faithful to our documents, our strategies and our plans,” he remarked, warning “it would be the height of folly [for any presidential candidte] to come in with a parallel team which then seeks to dominate or to supersede what is already in place; that is not a situation that would auger well for the party.”

Meanwhile, the former chief of staff under Kufuor regime, Kwadwo Mpiani said the election of Paul Afoko will enhance the electoral chances of the NPP in the north.

He said although the party garnered good votes in past elections in the north, the NPP will do even better with Mr. Afoko's election.

A former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie has dismissed assertions the almost total overhaul of the the party’s leadership signals a change in its presidential nomination for the 2016 elections.

Two-time aspirant for the presidential nomination of the NPP, Alan Kyerematen has suggested that the replacement of the past executives indicates a possible change in the party's ticket for 2016.

But Mr. Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John, says the dynamics are different.

The immediate past NPP Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey has advised the newly elected National Chairman Paul Afoko to be tolerant and patient in the execution of his functions.

He however cautioned his successor against being overly tolerant, saying that could derail his vision.

“One of the criticisms against me was that I was too tolerant of views that were being improperly expressed; and that I should have cracked the whip a little bit more than I did”, he said.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey admonished all party supporters to rally behind the newly elected executives for victory in 2016.