Politics of Wednesday, 27 April 2016

Source: tv3network.com

Lecturer lauds NPP's silence over Afoko's accusations

Suspended NPP chairman,  Paul Afoko Suspended NPP chairman, Paul Afoko

A senior lecturer at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Jonathan Asante Okyere, has lauded the New Patriotic Party for not responding to the recent allegations by its suspended chairman, Paul Afoko.

Mr Afoko in a recent interview with the Africa Watch Magazine made several allegations against the party and its flagbearer Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo.

He has accused Nana Akufo-Addo of turning against him on several occasions, claiming although the flagbearer had assured him of his support for the chairmanship position prior to the election, he betrayed him [Afoko] when he won.

Mr. Afoko further claimed the challenges is facing in the part stems from his decision to correct some wrongs to rescue the party’s finances from the hands of people surrounding Nana Akufo-Addo

But both the NPP and Nana Akufo-Addo have declined to comment on these claims by the suspended chairman who vowed in the interview to fight the party's intolerant militant wing.

Speaking to 3FM Mr Okyere argued the continuous accusations by Mr. Afoko will have no impact on the party’s chances in the upcoming November polls.

"If they respond to Afoko’s case then obviously other issues may come out and then they will have to respond so I think that strategically, they can decide to ignore you and you can go ahead and say all manner of things but they just have to focus on whatever they intend doing; but all the same they must understand that it is not everybody who will appreciate their silence so it is a double edged sword they must understand” he advised.

However, he explained there are some Ghanaians who will be affected by the continuous silence of the NPP on Paul Afoko’s comments.

“There are others who think they should respond, and those people who think that the Nana Addo led NPP is not in a good step to rule the country, and obviously such category of people it will affect them”

He thus advised the party not to restrict itself to campaigning in the urban areas.

I think they seem to be so much concentrated on urban population, they should be doing much more in villages and rural areas, I think they that shouldn’t delude themselves that this idea of the economy of corruption and those things are really making waves as far as the political discourses are concerned, they should do more” he concludes.