<<Print>>

The National Vetting Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has asked Mr Paul Afoko to continue with his campaign for the position of National Chairman of the party. This may be an indication that the decision of the vetting committee to put Afoko�s vetting on hold may end in his favour. The news of the vetting of Mr Afoko being on hold drew sharp criticism from the ranks of the party, with Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, a founder member of the party, questioning the composition of the party�s national vetting committee. The NPP, in a statement signed by the acting Director of Communications, Mr Perry Okudzeto, dismissed the assertion made by Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe, saying: �The premise on which Dr Tamakloe made the assertions were flawed.� It would be recalled that some unknown petitioners claimed that Mr Afoko did not qualify to run as the party�s national chairman because he once served a jail term in the United Kingdom. But National Chairman aspirant, Mr Afoko, counteracted by saying there was a group within the party that was bent on soiling his name with the aim of getting him out of the race. ��In deciding to join the race to be the National Chairman of the NPP, I expected that as in every contest some heat will be generated but I did not think that people would unashamedly lie, fabricate and publicise stories they knew were not true about me all in the name of the contest,� Mr Afoko said in a statement. Media reports have also pointed accusing fingers at one Bryan who sneaked the petition at the last minute into the room where the vetting committee was having its meeting, claiming Mr Afoko did not qualify to run as party chair. Since then, media reports have it that the said Bryan had apologised to Mr Afoko that the petition was unfounded. Mr Afoko seems well respected throughout the echelons of the party and actually sits on its National Council; a position that has arguably given him insights into, and experience of political strategy and party management. He is a successful businessman by many accounts and by other accounts a generous philanthropist in party affairs. Many people agree that he is proactive and possibly a highly-valued member of the NPP. He also hails from the Upper East Region.