Nana Addo’s Foray into Afoko’s Camp



Credible information reaching this newspaper has it that baring any last minute hitch, General Secretary of the opposition New Patriotic Party, Mr. Kwabena Agyepong, one of the many suspended party executives will be reinstated to his position today.

Shaken by recent suspensions of his supposed nemeses on the National Executive Committee of the party, three time flag bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo has suddenly woken from his slumber and has ordered the National Council to make this very important announcement after a crucial meeting scheduled for today.

Akufo-Addo is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to suppress any threats the suspensions poses to his 2016 presidential ambition. He is reported busily working to restore some of the high profile personnel affected by the ‘suspension spree’ of the NPP. One of the prominent persons suspended is Kwabena Agyepong who is to be reinstated to his original position as General Secretary.

Sensing that the court cases involving two suspended senior members of the party’s National Executives challenging their suspension are likely to affect his triumph over NDC’s John Mahama at next November polls, Nana Akufo-Addo and his men, party insiders told The aL-hAJJ, have been knocking endlessly the doors of Kwabena Agyepong to denounce Mr Afoko in order to be restored to his original position.

Reports are that the twice defeated presidential candidate has instructed his protégé and acting National Chairman, Freddy Blay to convene a National Council meeting today to among other issues, consider the revocation of Kwabena Agyepong’s suspension.

The meeting today, The aL-hAJJ has gathered, has been scheduled to coincide with the judgment day of Mr. Sammy Crabbe’s case against the NPP. A close source to the NPP 2016 flag bearer told this paper that Kwabena Agyepong is being restored to his post because he has conducted himself very well since his suspension.

It is not yet clear whether the suspended National General Secretary has accepted the offer to take back his post. That will also mean breaking ranks with his boss and partners in ‘crime’, Mr Afoko and Sammy Crabbe.

“Kwabena, unlike the others, is not challenging his suspension in court, he has not granted interviews to rundown the party after his suspension. We think that he has been of good behavior and that was what we expected of all the suspended executives. Because of this we are considering giving him another opportunity to serve as General Secretary. I believe he has learnt his lessons and will not repeat some of the things he did in the past,” a senior member of the party’s national council told The aL-hAJJ.

An Accra Human Rights Court is expected to give judgment in a case brought before it by suspended 2nd vice chairman, Sammy Crabbe, who is challenging his suspension by the NPP Disciplinary Committee.

Mr Crabbe was last year suspended together with Mr Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong for insubordination. Afoko and Agyepong were suspended for allegedly working with the ruling National Democratic Congress to plot Nana Akufo-Addo’s defeat in the November polls.

However, Mr Afoko and Crabbe have mounted spirited challenge to their suspension in court, describing it as illegal, a position the party has opposed in court and has prayed the court to throw out the case.

But having realized that the suspension of the trio was taking a toll on his third bid and possibly last attempt to ascend to the highest office of the land, The aL-hAJJ reported last month that Nana Akufo-Addo and his close advisers have devised a strategy to infiltrate into Afoko’s camp to lure back some of the members on his side.

Recently, Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful who is one of Nana Akufo-Addo’s darling ‘sisters’ in the NPP revealed how they have been making effort to get Mr Afoko and his colleagues back to no avail.

She noted that it has been difficult for any party member (including NPP presidential candidate) to reach out and make peace with the suspended NPP Chairman because, in her words, “Afoko has adopted a posture which makes it difficult”.

But ahead of the High Court’s ruling in the Sammy Crabbe case today, Nana Akufo-Addo is reported to have given up on keeping Kwabena Agyepong in the political wilderness and has asked for a NC meeting to be convened to revoke his suspension.