National Chairman aspirant of the opposition New Patriotic Party, Paul Afoko, has dismissed concerns by some party members over ethnic and regional balance in the race for the party’s top leadership position.
The former National Chairman, who is seeking a return to office, has faced criticism from sections of the party who argue that both the National Chairman and the party’s flagbearer should not come from the northern part of the country.
The concerns stem from the fact that the NPP’s flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, also hails from northern Ghana.
Speaking in an interview with GhOne TV/Starr News, Mr. Afoko rejected suggestions that regional considerations should determine who leads the party, insisting that the NPP has historically prioritized competence and capability in selecting its leaders.
According to him, there have been periods in the party’s history where both flagbearers and national executives came from southern Ghana without any controversy or debate over regional balance.
Mr. Afoko argued that leadership positions within the party should be based on merit and the ability to strengthen the NPP ahead of future elections rather than ethnic or geographical considerations.
Touching on the continued detention of the party’s Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, Mr. Afoko condemned the development and described it as worrying.
However, he said the situation reinforces his proposal to establish a legal taskforce within the party to provide immediate legal support for party activists who are arrested while carrying out party-related activities.
According to him, such a structure would ensure that party members facing legal challenges receive timely legal representation and protection.
