General News of Monday, 17 February 2014

Source: peacefmonline.com

Afoko is providing the media with poisonous ammunition- Kweku Baako

It appears the decision by the New Patriotic Party to put Mr. Paul Afoko’s vetting process on hold has not sat down well with some aggrieved party members, following the explosive messages posted on media platforms.

The party notified the public that the vetting of Mr. Afoko has been temporarily curtailed until further notice.

The announcement has been met with open disapproval by some of his (Afoko's) disgruntled followers.

A group calling itself NPP youth for Paul Afoko issued a stern warning to the party’s election committee not to derail the chances of their candidate from becoming the National Chairman.

According to the group, a petition asking the committee to disqualify Mr. Afoko because he is an ex- convict is “defective in logic".

The NPP Youth for Afoko urged the committee to treat the petition with the contempt it deserves and give Paul Afoko the chance to lead the party to victory ahead of the 2016 general elections. In an interview with Neat FM, a member of the group threatened to break away from the NPP following Mr. Afoko's disqualification.

But speaking on the issue, Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, sought to make some observations.

A seasoned media practitioner, Mr. Baako is optimistic that despite the heated arguments that have erupted within the NPP, he anticipates they would sail through peacefully.

He was, however, not enthused about the decision by Mr. Afoko and some rejected aspirants to stage a media war after issues had been raised about their candidature. “This isn’t an action in the interest of the party. The media love such things; it provides us with ammunitions to run with,” he stated.

Mr. Baako urged Mr. Afoko not to rely on the media at this stage to put his case across; but rather, use the escape route he has been provided with. He described the media war as “pressure politics aimed at disabling the vetting committee from arriving at a logical conclusion”.

The vetting committee has given the disqualified aspirants a chance to make an appeal latest on Monday 17th February, 2014.