The Ashanti Regional Council of Elders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has thrown its weight behind former National Chairman Awentami Paul Afoko’s chairmanship bid, urging him to anchor the party’s strategy to recover lost ground in the five northern regions ahead of the 2028 general elections.
During a high-level consultation in Kumasi, the elders described Afoko as a “household name” whose past strategies significantly improved the party’s fortunes, with many present saying they witnessed firsthand how his organisational approach translated into electoral gains for the NPP.
“We have experienced your leadership and we know your capabilities,” the Council declared. “The task before us is clear: help bring the north home when you become National Chairman. Work closely with Dr. Bawumia so that together, you can make a meaningful impact and leave an indelible mark on this party.”
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was elected NPP flagbearer for the 2028 general elections following the party’s internal primaries.
Afoko, who is currently consulting party kingmakers and advisors across the country ahead of a formal declaration, expressed gratitude for the endorsement and reaffirmed his loyalty to the NPP despite a turbulent chapter in his party history. He was first elected NPP National Chairman at a party congress in Tamale in April 2014, becoming the first person of Northern Ghanaian extraction to occupy the position, before his indefinite suspension in 2015 amid allegations of undermining then-flagbearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“The Ashanti Region remains the heartbeat of the NPP, and I am open to your advice because you are the ones running the party,” Afoko told the gathering. He called on all party members to resist the urge to assign blame for the 2024 electoral defeat and instead channel their energies into collective rebuilding. “We cannot sit back and watch the party slide backwards. Our only option is to unite, pool our experience, and work collectively to return the NPP to power in 2028,” he urged.
Afoko joins a field of chairmanship aspirants that includes Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, known as Chairman Wontumi; former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko; and former General Secretary John Boadu, among others.
