Sympathisers of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been urged to resist the coup attempt by "some primitive minded people in the party.”

According to Sammy Crabbe, suspended second vice chairman of the NPP, members of the party are reminded that Mr. Paul Afoko is still the legitimate elected national chairman of the NPP, and members are advised to acknowledge him as such.

Speaking to the DAILY HERITAGE after the sued leadership of the NPP and their lawyers failed to show up at the Human Rights Division of an Accra High Court for hearing of the suit filed by the suspended national chairman, Mr Crabbe said, “He (Mr. Afoko) is not a suspended chairman, but only in their minds.”

“I pray that they come at the next adjourned date so that we all sit down and resolve this issue. It is very important that we resolve it very early so that we can prosecute the campaign. Officers in this party feel unsafe and insecure, and I doubt if they will have the commitment and the motivation to be able to manage polling stations and make us win an election.”

Asked if he thinks the murder of the late JB Danquah could be the reason why the party failed to appear in court, he replied in the negative, saying, “But, we are also members of the party. They have their own reasons. They never stated that was the reason, so we are all mourning. I know him personally; he was my very good friend so I am also mourning so I don’t know the reason.”

Messrs Afoko and Crabbe were both in court and they expressed surprise at the absence of the party saying “We hope next time around we will get this whole thing done quickly.”

He said “Let me correct you, he is not a suspended chairman. They have done an illegality, that is why we are here, so, I think you should be correcting that otherwise you will give credence to this illegality and this coup d’état that some primitive minded people in the party are trying to perpetrate.”

Letter to court

The party through its lawyers wrote to the court presided over by Justice Anthony Yeboah to ask for an adjournment. The case has subsequently been adjourned to February 16, 2016.

Background

The suspended national chairman of the NPP has filed a suit at the Accra High Court against the party and its first national vice chairman, Mr Freddie Blay.

In a writ of summons to the court, the NPP and Mr Blay, as first and second defendants, have eight days after the service of writ on them to enter an appearance. In default, a judgement is expected to be given in their absence without further notice to them.

Mr Afoko had on November 18, 2015, expressed his intention to resort to court action on grounds that his suspension, which was subsequently approved by the National Council of the NPP, was unconstitutional.

Statement of claim

The plaintiff said he was the national chairman of the first defendant, having been duly elected by an overwhelming majority of votes at a national delegates’ congress of the NPP in Tamale in 2014.

He said the first defendant was a political party duly registered under the relevant laws of Ghana after satisfying all the requirements imposed on political parties by both the 1992 Constitution and the Political Parties Act.

According to him, the second defendant was the first national vice chairman of the first defendant having been duly elected into office by majority of votes at the national delegates’ congress of the party in Tamale in 2014.