Political Analyst and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, Dr. Jonathan Asante Otchere, has argued that Mr. Awentami Paul Afoko joining the national chairmanship contest of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presents an interesting situation in the contest.
Dr. Otchere noted that the circumstances that have surrounded Mr. Afoko’s stay in the party present him as an interesting candidate. From being national chairman to his indefinite suspension and how he has stayed mute for a very long time, he has since come back to contest for the position he once held between April 2014 and October 2015.
“The point is that this particular announcement comes to me as an interesting addition, I mean, to the list of those who want to contest for that particular position, which is the chairmanship of the party.” Dr. Otchere said, in reference to Mr. Afoko’s declaration of intent to contest for the national chairmanship position of the NPP.
“I think that Mr. Paul Ofoko has really conducted himself very well in opposition, so to speak. Of course, the party was in government, but he was in opposition, because you never heard a word from him politically or administratively that was to create any kind of problem, and so that is why I said that he is an interesting addition.”
Dr. Jonathan Asante Otchere, Political Analyst and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast
Dr. Otchere emphasized that the way Mr. Afoko conducted himself after his indefinite suspension and during the time his party was in government, he stands a chance of winning sympathy votes.
“If in actual fact those who believe in the fact that the means by which he was booted out in terms of the indefinite suspension that was given to him and that of Mr. Kwabena Agyapong, if we are to believe that, and those who find themselves within the party are to believe that that particular decision was wrongly communicated and wrongly done, then it means that he stands in a better position to attract some kind of sympathy vote.”
Dr. Jonathan Asante Otchere, Political Analyst and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast
In October 2015, Mr. Paul Afoko was indefinitely suspended as the national chairman of the party after the disciplinary committee of the party submitted a recommendation for his suspension to the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party.
Many believed the way the situation was handled was unfair to Mr. Afoko, and Dr. Ochere is of the view that such persons may want to sympathize with him by voting for him in the upcoming chairmanship contest.
However, he noted that he may be disadvantaged since he has been away from the political sphere, while his competitors have been at the forefront of the politics of today, noting that he believes Mr. Afoko may have become “a little bit ‘rusty.’”
Dr. Otchere also noted that perhaps, Mr. Afoko was just “warming up on the bench to come with all that full swagger that you may want to put forth in terms of the competition that is yet to be announced.”
He also noted that Mr. Afoko could possibly be relaunching his political career, reiterating his argument that Mr. Afoko is an interesting addition to the national chairman contest of the NPP.
National Chairmanship Becoming Attractive than Presidential Slot
The analyst noted that from his analysis, it appears that the NPP’s national chairmanship position is now gaining more traction than the presidential slot, emphasizing that it could be as a result of the recent amendments made by the party that now empower the chairman to be the leader of the party at all times.
“I think that the chairmanship position is even becoming more attractive than the presidential slot. And probably it is all because of the amendment that the party made with respect to the fact that look, when you are the chairman of the party, you are the leader whether the party is in position or the party is in government.”
Dr. Jonathan Asante Otchere, Political Analyst and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast
He therefore noted that the empowerment of the national chairmanship position is “probably the reason why we have such a list, a tall list of people wanting to become a chairperson or a chairman of the party.” Seven people have so far declared their intention to participate in the national chairmanship contest of the NPP.
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