The National Council of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has unanimously dismissed a petition seeking to block former National Chairman Paul Awentami Afoko from contesting in the upcoming internal elections, in a decision that sharply rebuffed what many insiders are describing as a coordinated attempt to derail his comeback bid.
The decision was taken on Thursday, June 25, 2026, during a meeting of the party’s second-highest decision-making body, where the petition—submitted by unknown persons—was presented to Council members. The grounds for the request were not made public.
The matter was tabled by the Chairman of the Council of Elders, but it quickly faced resistance from across the leadership spectrum.
“The Council has dismissed the petition and affirmed that Mr Afoko is qualified to contest the polls,” a party insider familiar with the discussions said.
Speaker after speaker, including national and regional executives present at the meeting, reportedly opposed the attempt to bar him, with the proposal failing to gain traction from the outset. The party’s legal team is also said to have raised objections, arguing against the basis of the petition and its anonymity.
Although the contents of the petition remain undisclosed, the Council’s unanimous decision effectively clears Afoko to enter the race ahead of the NPP’s national officers’ elections, which are expected to intensify as nominations, filing, and vetting processes open in the coming weeks.
The development comes at a politically sensitive moment, just ahead of the National Delegates’ Conference scheduled for September 2026, where the party is expected to reset its internal leadership structure following its post-2024 electoral recalibration.
Within party circles, some view the petition as a last-minute move triggered by Afoko’s renewed political activity and his declared bid to return as National Chairman.
Since announcing his intention, Afoko has centred his campaign on party unity and reconciliation, pitching what he calls a “3Rs Agenda”—reuniting, rebuilding, and restoring the New Patriotic Party to electoral strength.
He has been touring constituencies, engaging grassroots structures, and appealing to party unity after internal divisions that followed the 2024 leadership tensions. His message has also emphasized stronger empowerment for polling station and constituency executives, alongside improved welfare, logistics, and inclusion in decision-making.
Afoko’s supporters argue that his return represents an opportunity to stabilise the party’s base and reconnect with grassroots structures, particularly after what they describe as a difficult post-election period.
The Council’s dismissal of the petition now removes a major early obstacle from his path as the internal contest for national leadership begins to take shape.
