Pollster Ben Ephson says the opposition New Patriotic Party must be cautious in reinstating suspended General Secretary, Kwabena Agyepong ahead of the general polls as the move could have dire consequences on the party’s fortunes in the 2016 elections.

He’s urging the Dankwa-Busia-Dombo tradition to manage and shelve those consideration till after the elections as the move, according to him, will practically work against the party with just five months to the November polls.

“Of the three suspended officials, I think Kwabena Agyepong is the one who has shown respect to the party structures for appearing before the disciplinary committee on their issues with the party. So if there is anyone to be considered among the three officials of the party who were suspended last year, I believe Agyepong should be the one. But I dare say that if that happens the party will suffer some backlash” Ephson told host Fiifi Banson on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM Wednesday.

There are speculations that the NPP is likely to drop sanctions against Agyepong citing his deeds as worth considering after the National Executive Council penalized him and two other officials following a disciplinary hearing in 2015.

But Ephson has suggested that this could be a dicey decision for the party, as the NPP already has grave problems of perception, insisting people will feed into the perception that NPP is an Akan party.

“In politics you don’t take chances and until the votes are counted you can never know your fate. There is no way one can throw perception away, but you can only manage it. People will conveniently use this as a propaganda tool and conclude that the NPP is an Akan party. It’s better you wait after the elections then you can call him back,”

However, the duo – Agyepong, Afoko who were extremely intimate during the heady days of their suspension appear to be on warpath recently over Afoko’s decision to fight back his suspension by the party.

The media last week descended heavily on Mr Agyepong accusing him of betraying his trusted friend, Paul Afoko after he failed to turn up in court to support him in a case where the latter is contesting his suspension by the NPP.

Mr Agyepong was billed to appear in court on Thursday as a prosecution witness for Mr Afoko but many who attended the hearing were disappointed to learn that the former had declined to attend the proceeding.