The Eastern and Central regional executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have backed the decision by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to suspend Paul Afoko, National Chairman of the party.

The NPP last Friday announced the indefinite suspension of Mr Afoko as the national chairman.

This was after the embattled chairman reportedly refused on several occasions to appear before the Disciplinary Committee (DC) of the party to amicably resolve any differences between him and the party.

Supporters of the suspended chairman have since filed a motion for interlocutory injunction at the Human Rights Division of the High Court seeking to restrain the leadership of the party, including the presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, from suspending Mr Afoko.

But the regional executives of the Eastern and Central Regions, in separate statements issued to the media, stated emphatically that the suspension of Mr Afoko was in the right direction, urging well-meaning members of the party to respect the decision of the NEC.

Eastern NPP’s Position

“It is worth noting that the entire Eastern Regional Leadership of the party, together with the Chairmen of the various Constituencies, have unambiguously lend their formal and explicit approval of the decision by the National Executive Committee of the party to suspend Mr Paul Afoko as National Chairman,” the Eastern regional executives of the NPP said in a statement signed by Prince Aboagye, the Regional Secretary.

According to them, “the party has spoken and we respect it. We are also calling on all well-meaning party members to respect this decision and work towards victory 2016.”

Central NPP

Meanwhile, the Central regional branch of the NPP in a statement signed by its secretary, Kwamena Duncan, stated emphatically that it has taken notice of recent happenings within the party at the national level, particularly with regard to the indefinite suspension of Mr Paul Afoko, and that as a regional branch, it very much supports the decision of the NEC of the party to suspend Mr Afoko.

“The Central Regional Branch of the New Patriotic Party has taken notice of the decision by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party to suspend Paul Afoko from his position as National Chairman of the party and hereby wishes to state that as a Regional Branch, we very much uphold the party’s constitution and submit unequivocally to its provisions and particularly to Article 3(d) iv, which imposes a duty on all members of the party to abide by and publicly uphold the decision of the party,” they said.