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Paul Afoko- NPP Chairman

Is there hope for the NPP?

It began as a rumour that all was not well within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) until its Upper East Regional Chairman, Alhaji Adams Mahama, was allegedly ambushed by some unknown assailants and doused with acid on his return from his construction site on the night of Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

Following the attack, 49-year-old Alhaji Mahama was pronounced dead on Thursday, May 21, 2015. This caused an outrage within the party such that some members blamed the General Secretary, Mr Kwabena Agyapong, and the National Chairman, Mr Paul Afoko, for the death of the regional chairman.

According to them, there was an earlier dispute between the deceased and the two national executives over a disrupted meeting for which the deceased later apologised and for that matter, it was quite curious that the former regional chairman was ambushed and killed almost a week after the disagreement.

To that effect, factions have been created within the party, with some calling for the resignation of the two national executive members while a group known as Save NPP Now are also demanding the resignation of the Flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo.

Emergency crunch meetings have also been held across the country to decide on the fate of the two national executive members but this has yielded no results as members have held different opinions.

The concerns

Aside the sentiments expressed by some members of the party, others such as Dr Kobina Arthur Kennedy, a constant critic of the NPP, in a press statement, charged the leadership of the party to immediately re-strategise to combat what he described as the ethnic tag that had been placed on the party.

“The best way to combat the ethnic tag is to condemn and isolate the few ethnic bigots in the NPP,” he said.

Meanwhile, institutions such as the National Commission for Civic Education and the Ghana Bar Association have described the current disorder within the NPP as a dark spot on the country’s democracy.

The institutions, in separate statements, called on security agencies to swiftly investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to book. 

There will be justice

Since the death of Alhaji Adams Mahama, the police have arrested one perspn, Gregory Afoko and put him before court, while an alleged accomplice, Asabke Alangdi, is on the run.

In a tweet , President John Dramani Mahama said justice would be served for the late Alhaji Mahama.

“Horrified @ murder of UE NPP Chair Adams Mahama. Nothing can justify such barbarism. Condolence to wife & family. There’ll be justice-JM,” he tweeted.

We, therefore, ask: NPP, can the centre hold?  Here are some responses from the public.

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