Bring back Afoko now
Bus loads of New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters and sympathisers yesterday besieged the party’s headquarters in Accra to demand the immediate reinstatement of the constitutionally elected Chairman of the party, Mr Paul Awentami Afoko.
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Chanting, “No Afoko, no vote!”, the determined protesters marched to the gates of the headquarters with placards to present their petition. The group has given the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) a week’s ultimatum to reinstate Mr Afoko to his position.
The Accra Regional Police Command, under the direction of the Greater Accra Regional Police Operations Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police Mr Emmanuel Kwashie, was on hand to ensure law and order.
The police sealed off the main road in front of the NPP headquarters to prevent the hundreds of the protesters from coming into contact with the Invisible Forces who were manning the gate.
The police, however, allowed Alhaji Dauda Mohammed, the Kintampo North NPP Secretary, and Godfred Rut Kudalor, the Akatsi North NPP Organiser, to present the six-point petition, which was received by the party’s Director of Protocol, Mr Kojo Antwi Agyei.
The protesters, who were visibly not impressed by developments within the NPP, with 12 months to the next elections, called on former President John Agyekum Kufuor, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Mr Afoko, the General Secretary of the party, Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, all steering committee members and former national chairmen and general secretaries to immediately convene a meeting and design a road map for party reconciliation and cohesion.
According to the petition, which was read by Alhaji Mohammed, the supposed suspension “of our duly elected and mandated elected” national chairman was ill-timed, disastrous and destructive towards the Victory 2016 agenda. It, therefore, called on the leadership and members of the party to respect the verdict of the delegates in Tamale.
It said the supporters of the party still believed in the tactical team put in place in Tamale because they were confident that that team would secure the much awaited victory in 2016. It was of the view that reconciliation was the only way to ensure victory in 2016
“As officers and members of the NPP, we are deeply concerned about the current development that has characterised our party. It is sad that all our efforts over the years are being drained away,’’ the petition stated.
Command ready
The police directed traffic as the petitioners took over Adabraka roads leading to the party’s office. They also organised the protesters in a manner so as to ensure the free flow of traffic and the orderly presentation of the petition.
After the presentation of the petition, the police prevailed upon the protesters to enter their buses and move to the International Press Centre, where they intended to address a press conference.
Drama
They arrived at the centre carrying placards, some of which read: “Bring back Afoko”, “Freddy is a mole”, “Freddy Blay is not our chairman”, “Obey the constitution”, “Let our votes count in the NPP”, “Afoko yes, Blay no”, “12-member NEC cannot decide for us”, “Investigate stolen party funds”, “No more chop chop in the NPP” and “Afoko, Kwabena, Nana 2016”.
Backed by a jama group and clad in party T-shirts and paraphernalia, they danced, chanted and pitched camp in and outside the centre while their leadership engaged the media. Policemen maintained a heavy security presence at the centre, with some of them taking pictures and videos of the drama.
“If they want us to go and canvass for votes in 2016, we won’t go because they are killing our zeal, passion and love for the party,” Mr Kudalor declared.
Mr Hope Yaw, a constituency executive in Ketu North, said Mr Afoko’s suspension was a dent on the Tamale elections where the party had an agenda to erase the perception that the NPP was an Akan party.
“The suspension will not inure to the benefit of the party and the earlier we reversed it and united to wrest power, the better for us,” he added. They were, however, not forthcoming on the action they would take if the leadership of the party failed to heed their call.
