Rumor Mill of Tuesday, 26 May 2015

Source: The Scandal

Afoko, Agyepong on their way out

Credible information available to the Scandal Newspaper indicates that 6 out of 7 regional branches of the opposition New Patriotic Party have passed a Vote-of-No-Confidence in the National Chairman, Mr. Paul Afoko, and General Secretary, Mr. Kwabena Agyepong.

But for the Brong Ahafo Region, which voted 20-17 in favour of the embattled duo, the Upper West Region, Volta Region, Greater Accra Region, Eastern Region, Western Region and Central Region all voted unanimously to remove the NPP Chairman and General Secretary from office.

Indications are also clear that the remaining regions, namely Ashanti, Upper East (the region of the late Adams Mahama), and the Northern Region will follow suit on Tuesday and ask for the removal of the pair.

According to the majority of delegates who spoke to the paper from all parts of the country, at the time of going to press, the positions of the National Chairman and the General Secretary occupied by Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong respectively, have become untenable.

This, they claim, is because "the party has not known peace ever since these two persons were elected into office. From petty squabbles to the recent murder of the late Adams Mahama, the focus of the party has always been on the resolution of needless internal issues rather than focussing on the NDC, thereby ensuring that we lose election 2016. They must go."

At the Takoradi beach Hotel, where the last Regional Executive Committee meeting of the day was held, the Executive Committee made up regional executives, constituency chairpersons and Members of Parliament from the region, voted unanimously against Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong.

The vote-of-no-confidence in the duo was also unanimous in the Eastern Region. Out of the 26 Minority MPs in the Eastern Region only four were present, with 28 Constituency Chairmen out of 33 were also present. This meeting took place at the GNAT Hall in Koforidua.

In the Central Region, at the Manna Heights Beach Resort, executives also passed a unanimous vote of no confidence in the two executives. This was confirmed to the paper by the Central Region Secretary, Mr. Kwamena Duncan.

Like the developments in the Central Region, the Sky Plus Hotel in Ho, which was the venue for the Volta Regional meeting, also witnessed a unanimous vote-of-no-confidence in the pair.

According to executives from the Upper West Region, who also voted for the removal of Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong, "the reason for our decision is that if we should retain the two, we will possibly lose northern votes because of the murder of Adams Mahama, which is being linked to them."

The Greater Accra Regional Executives did not buck the trend, and also passed a vote-of-no-confidence in Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong.

With the Upper East, Ashanti and Northern Regions set to follow in the path of the 6 regions, it is yet to be seen if the much anticipated National Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday will take place, which could begin the process for the impeachment of Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong.