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Irate NPP youth besiege party headquarters over Afoko's suspension

The youth are demanding the leadership of the party to reinstate Mr Paul Afoko as the national chairman and remove the first vice chairman Freddie Blay

 

Irate young men and women besieged the headquarters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Accra over the suspension of national chairman Paul Afoko.

The demonstrators were there to protest against the National Executive Committee and the leadership of the party.

At about 11 a.m. Thursday morning, the youth, with red bands around their necks and arms, forced their way into the premises of the party’s headquarters even though security guards at the entrance tried to stop them.

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According to reports, the youth are demanding the leadership of the party to reinstate Mr Paul Afoko as the national chairman and remove the first vice chairman Freddie Blay who is acting as the national chairman.

On Tuesday October 3, 2015, the NPP held its first National Executive Committee (NEC)  and National Exective Council (NC) meetings  to affirm  the suspension of the National Chairman of the party, Mr  Paul Afoko.

The meetings also  affirmed  the first vice chairman, Mr Freddie Blay, as acting National Chairman, were  attended by  the flag bearer of the party  and his running mate, Nana Addo  Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia respectively and some party stalwarts.

Report indicates that more than  90 members out of the 120 forming the membership attended the  meetings including some members of parliament.

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However, the NEC has asked its members to support the suspension of Mr Afoko.

The Director of Communications of the party, Nana Akomea speaking to the media after meeting said the two bodies are solidly behind its new acting national chairman.

The meeting also re-affirmed the position of the acting chairman, Mr. Blay. The National Council was not seized of the matter because they are an appellate body and there may be an appeal to them but that didn’t come before the National Council so the National Executive Committee re-affirmed its decision for Mr. Blay to act as the acting National Chairman.”

“The meeting also admonished all party supporters across the country to stick and uphold the decisions of the party and that the party will do what is best for everybody in the party.”

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But the irate youth who stormed the party's office to petition NEC are demanding that Mr Afoko to be reinstated.

Meanwhile, some members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have accused the party's general secretary Kwabena Agyepong of flirting with the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

This follows a petition  by three members of the party to the national leadership to oust Kwabena Agyepong.

The petitioners Chris Arthur, Former TESCON-KNUST President; Adreba Kwaku Abrefa Damoa, London; Kwabena Afum Dankwa, London; and Kwame Baffoe, NPP Regional Youth Organiser, Brong Ahafo said Kwabena Agyepong must be sanctioned for “exhibiting gross misconduct, and engaging in deals tantamount to venality whiles in his elected position as General Secretary”.

In a related development, an Accra High court has dismissed a case brought against the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of the procedure leading to the suspension of Paul Afoko.

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The court ruled that the case of a party supporter, Oppong Kyekyeku did not prove his interest in the case and failed to prove he was an agent of Afoko.

But the court in its view ordered the applicant to exhaust internal mechanisms in dealing with party issues instead of going public.

Kyekyeku argued the National Council should have dealt with the case instead of the NEC hence the decision is in violation of the party’s constitution.

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Oppong Kyekyeku in his argument said the Disciplinary Committee of the NPP lacked jurisdiction to hear a petition calling for the suspension of Paul Afoko.

But the court dismissed the case.

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