A former NPP National Chairman, Paul Awentami Afoko, has issued a pointed critique of his party’s decision to conduct presidential primaries in January 2026, calling the timing a significant misstep.

Mr Afoko stated that the New Patriotic Party’s renewal process traditionally begins at the grassroots, namely, the polling station level, and methodically builds up through constituency and regional structures before culminating in a national executive appointment and, finally, a flagbearer selection.

“I think that the party is making a big mistake going for presidential primaries in January,” he asserted. “One, normally this party goes through a renewal cycle every four years… that renewal starts from the polling stations all the way up. And after the national executive is in place, then you have presidential primaries.” Afoko also clarified there was no personal bias influencing his remark: “I don’t have a favourite when it comes to who I think will become the flagbearer of the NPP. I wish them well, but I don’t have a favourite.”

Mr Afoko said this in an interview with Accra-based Starr FM.

Who Is Paul Afoko — and Why Is This Significant Now?

In April 2014, Afoko was elected NPP National Chairman. But by late 2015, his tenure spiralled into controversy. On October 23, 2015, the NPP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) suspended him indefinitely over accusations of a unilateral leadership style and appointed the First Vice-Chairman, Freddie Blay, as the acting chairman.

Afoko pushed back, labelling the move unconstitutional and challenging it in court. However, in mid-2016, the High Court ruled that due process had been followed and dismissed his case.

Since then, Afoko has largely remained under the radar, rarely voicing public commentary on internal affairs. A few signs of thaw arrived in 2025: NPP insiders signalled an open-door policy toward returning affiliates, clarifying that Afoko remained a party member even after losing his leadership post.

But some observers, like Sammy Crabbe, cautioned that, according to court rulings, Afoko may no longer be formally recognised as a member, highlighting how the party’s unresolved handling weighs on long-term unity.

Later in August 2025, Afoko broke his long silence publicly on Okay FM, welcoming the party’s general amnesty toward estranged members but criticising the attached caveat that barred them from contesting internal elections for two years as unacceptable.

He’s urging the NPP to honour its tradition of orderly renewal, rather than compressing the political cycle.