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Paul Afoko declares intent to run for NPP national chairmanship race
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Former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Awentami Afoko, has officially declared his intention to contest for the party’s National Chairman position, promising to reunite the party, strengthen its structures and lead efforts to return the NPP to power.
Mr. Afoko announced his decision at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, after what he described as months of consultations with key stakeholders across the party.
He disclosed that he had engaged the NPP’s presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, members of the party’s parliamentary caucus, former executives, grassroots members, women, youth, parliamentary candidates and other party faithful before reaching his decision.
Mr. Afoko clarified that the consultations were not part of his campaign, stressing that he would abide by the party’s rules and processes before officially launching his campaign.
He explained that feedback from the engagements revealed disappointment and frustration among party members but also a strong desire to see the NPP recover from its 2024 electoral defeat.
According to him, the party is at a critical stage and requires experienced leadership capable of rebuilding unity and restoring public confidence.
Mr. Afoko said his vision is built around what he described as the “three Rs” — reunite, reorganise and recapture power.
He noted that internal divisions have weakened the NPP and urged members to set aside differences and work together.
“The NPP cannot win when loyal members feel excluded, ignored or pushed aside. We must bring back respect, discipline, tolerance, service and loyalty to the party,” he stated.
The former chairman pledged to bridge divisions across generations, regions and factions within the party, insisting that he was seeking to unite members rather than lead one group against another.
He promised to strengthen the party’s organisational structures from the polling station level to the national leadership.
Mr. Afoko recalled that during his previous tenure as National Chairman in 2014, the party introduced constituency resource accounts, strengthened parliamentary primaries and focused on grassroots support.
He expressed confidence that similar organisational reforms could help prepare the NPP for victory in the next general election.
The aspiring chairman said the NPP must rebuild trust with traders, farmers, businesses, professionals, young people and other groups who felt disappointed by some decisions taken while the party was in government.
He acknowledged that mistakes were made and called on the party to demonstrate humility by listening to Ghanaians and correcting its shortcomings.
Mr. Afoko pledged to prioritise the involvement of women and young people in the party’s leadership and decision-making.
He said women should no longer be treated as an afterthought but should play central roles in party organisation, fundraising, mobilisation and leadership development.
Addressing concerns about regional balance within the NPP leadership, Mr. Afoko rejected suggestions that the party should avoid having both its presidential candidate and national chairman from northern Ghana.
He maintained that the NPP is a national party whose leadership should be determined by competence, commitment and the ability to unite members rather than by geography or ethnicity.
He further appealed to party members to support the NPP’s presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, saying no flag bearer could succeed without a united and well-organised party.
Mr. Afoko argued that the party’s defeat in the 2024 general election could not be blamed on one individual, adding that many factors contributed to the outcome.
During a question-and-answer session, he dismissed concerns that his return could revive past divisions within the party.
He disclosed that he had forgiven those involved in his suspension as National Chairman and no longer held bitterness against anyone.
“I was angry at the time because a mandate given to me by the party was taken away. But that is behind me. The state of the party will not allow us to dwell on emotions. There is no more bitterness or anger,” he said.
Mr. Afoko described unity as non-negotiable, saying healthy internal debate should strengthen rather than divide the party.
He also revealed that he had informed several leading figures in the NPP, including Kennedy Agyapong, about his intention to contest the chairmanship.
According to him, his discussions with Mr. Agyapong focused on the need to reunite the party and encourage experienced members to become actively involved again.
Mr. Afoko concluded by calling on party elders, executives, Members of Parliament, women, youth and grassroots supporters to work together to rebuild the NPP ahead of the next general election.
He formally announced his intention to contest for the National Chairman position, subject to the party’s rules and processes, and said he would officially launch his campaign at the appropriate time.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Residents of Brodi, a farming community in the Tain District of the Bono Region, have been left in shock and mourning following the alleged murder of a 45-year-old woman by her husband, who later died by suicide.
According to information gathered by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the suspect, popularly known as Kwabena Jack, believed to be in his 50s, allegedly attacked and killed his wife, Abena Donkor, while the couple were working on their farm on Monday, August 11, 2026.
Mr Kingsley Obah, Assembly Member for the Brodi Electoral Area, confirmed the incident to the GNA.
He explained that after news of the woman’s death spread through the community, residents launched a search for the suspect. His lifeless body was later discovered in a nearby bush on Tuesday, August 12, 2026.
Police have since conveyed both bodies to the Tain District Government Hospital, where they have been deposited for preservation and autopsy.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing. -GNA
Hawkers and roaming preachers have taken over the five-metre high Madina REDCO footbridge and adjoining streets, making it increasingly difficult for pedestrians to use the facility intended to promote safe road crossing.
The traders have virtually turned sections of the footbridge into a marketplace, displaying their wares on the floor using jute sacks, plastic sheets and metal trays, while others have occupied both sides of the walkway with their merchandise.
Foodstuffs such as okro, garden eggs, pepper, onions, dried fish, smoked fish, grains, spices and other groceries are openly sold on the footbridge and along the roadside, forcing pedestrians to weave through the crowded path.
Clothing and fashion accessories including slippers, brassieres, panties, socks, bags and other household items are also displayed for sale, leaving only limited space for commuters to use.
The situation is worsened by the presence of itinerant preachers who position themselves on the footbridge with public address systems to evangelise, drawing crowds to further obstruct pedestrian movement.
Head porters are also seen crossing the highway through the median while carrying heavy loads instead of using the footbridge, exposing themselves to the danger of being knocked down by speeding vehicles.
Also, portions of the footbridge are showing signs of deterioration. Several metal railings are rusted, bent and loosely secured with pieces of wire, raising concerns about the safety of users, especially children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
Sections of the concrete surface are worn and chipped, while makeshift wooden supports attached to parts of the structure suggest temporary repairs.
After a visit by The Spectator last week, it emerged that many commuters preferred crossing the busy Madina Highway instead of using the footbridge because of the congestion created by the trading and preaching activities.
For years, successive attempts by the police, the military and the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly to address congestion around the REDCO and Zongo Junction enclave have yielded little success, with the area becoming notorious for roadside trading, indiscriminate parking and pedestrians refusing to use the footbridge.
A pedestrian, who gave her name only as Maame Yaa, described the situation as worrying, saying the footbridge, which was constructed to protect lives, had gradually lost its purpose because of the growing encroachment by traders and preachers.
According to her, many pedestrians were discouraged from using the facility because navigating through the crowded walkway had become difficult and uncomfortable.
She appealed to the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly and other relevant authorities to intensify enforcement to prevent unauthorised trading and other activities on the footbridge and ensure it served its intended purpose of promoting pedestrian safety.
However, during the visit, personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were seen carrying out a decongestion exercise to remove hawkers from sections of the roadside around the footbridge as part of efforts to improve public safety and ease the movement of both pedestrians and motorists.
The exercise forms part of a pilot project initiated by the Municipal Fire Commander for Madina, Division Officer II (DO II) Abdul Salia, who assumed command of the Madina Municipal Fire Station three months ago.
Speaking in an interview with The Spectator, DO II Abdulai Salia, who is also a long time resident of the community, said the month long project began on July 1 and ended on July 31, with 30 firefighters deployed daily to regulate traffic, clear hawkers from the streets and footbridge, and create access for emergency vehicles.
Continued on page 12
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
