Former NPP National Chairman Paul Afoko has returned to politics. He warns the party has lost significant electoral ground. Afoko addressed a closed-door meeting with the NPP Regional Executive Committee for Greater Accra on Thursday, May 21, 2026. He stated that internal complacency has weakened the party's electoral machinery. This engagement is part of a nationwide tour. Afoko aims to consult grassroots leaders and regional powerbrokers. He is preparing for a full return to frontline party politics.
Afoko confronted the regional leadership with directness. He stated the party cannot live in denial. "We have lost a lot of ground, a lot of ground," he said. He reminded executives of his past tenure. He created a formidable operational blueprint as National Chairman. His administration's strategic systems laid the groundwork for the party to win power. "From the time when I was chairman, when with the team that I was elected with at the time, we were able to put everything in place ready for the general elections," Afoko recalled. His suspension just before the party took office was a painful experience. He compared it to seeing the promised land but not entering it.
His absence from public life was deliberate. Afoko made this sacrifice to protect party cohesion during the NPP's initial years in government. "All through the years that I have been silent, that was a deliberate decision I had made," he stressed. His first attempt to speak to the media about the new government was met with backlash. He defended the government's early progress. He argued that forming a government takes time, like turning a large ship. "The ship of state is like a super tanker on the high seas. It cannot just turn around like a sports car," he explained. His defense was twisted by detractors. They claimed he said President Akufo-Addo had failed. This forced him back into isolation.
Despite being sidelined by factionalism, Afoko continued to support candidates. He used his personal resources and networks. He funded preferred parliamentary candidates to victory. "There are people who I supported to get into parliament," he revealed. Political analysts are watching his current tour closely. It follows recent electoral setbacks for the NPP. Afoko's engagements are seen as an effort to position himself as a unifying elder statesman. He aims to reconcile internal factions. He wants to enforce structural discipline. The goal is to reclaim political ground lost over the last decade.