Embattled national chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Paul Afoko is likely seek the help of the party’s national council to reverse his indefinite suspension by the National Executive Committee (NEC).

One of the lawyers of Mr Afoko, Martin Kpebu, said the suspended NPP chairman wants to exhaust internal party structures before fighting the NEC decision in court.

Mr Kpebu said Monday on current affairs programme PM Express aired on the Joy News channel (Multi TV) that apart from the legal team’s view that the NEC has no jurisdiction to suspend Mr Afoko, the timing of the decision is bad.

“Our submissions to the committee all along is that the [NEC] proceedings are ill-timed; that they should terminate everything in the interest of their party unity and the [2016] elections,” Mr Kpebu said.

Mr Kpebu’s revelation that Mr Afoko may turn to the National Council, which is the party's highest decision-making body after Congress, shows reality has dawned on the suspended party chairman. Mr Afoko had held that he was still at post and his suspension was a sham.

The NPP executive committee voted unanimously last week Friday to suspend Mr Afoko for what many stalwarts of the party say was Mr Afoko’s party-ruining and divisive decisions.

Mr Afoko, according to NEC was suspended also because he failed to honour two petitions against him at the party’s Disciplinary Committee.

Paul Afoko, who has become the first NPP chairman to be suspended, is not likely to make any headway with the National Council. Key members of the National Council, who are also members of the Council of Elders actually recommended that disciplinary proceedings be brought against him.

Two members of the Council of Elders have been recounting events that culminated into Mr Afoko’s suspension in the media, all of which point to the fact that party bigwigs have had enough of his inability to cooperate with other key members of the party.

Chairman of the Council of Elders, C.K. Tedam and Alhaji Sulemana Yirimea, who petitioned the NEC on Afoko’s conduct support his suspension.

But should Mr Afoko fail to make progress with the council of elders, his lawyer, Mr Kpebu says Mr Afoko has a strong case to take to court.

“He has been elected and due process must be followed,” Mr Kpebu said.

Meanwhile, Mr Tedam has said if Mr Afoko agrees to reconcile with other key members of the party “the party can find a suitable position for him to play his role”.