By Lawrence Odoom
In a calculated move to consolidate support, former New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman Paul Afoko has initiated a second round of strategic consultations with the party’s most influential figures as he positions himself for another term at the helm.
As part of the outreach, Afoko held private engagements with former Vice President and 2024 flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, and former Assin Central MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
The consultations follow an earlier series of meetings with all five presidential aspirants ahead of the January 31, 2026, primaries including Dr. Bryan Acheampong, Ing. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, and Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum which Afoko described as an effort to cultivate cohesion within the party’s ranks.
According to sources close to Afoko, this latest round of engagements is part of a broader stakeholder initiative ahead of the NPP’s upcoming National Delegates Conference. The objective is to spearhead the party’s renewal and reposition it for electoral success following its defeat in the 2024 general elections.
Afoko, who led the NPP as National Chairman from 2014 to 2015, is championing his “3R Agenda” Reunite, Rebuild, Recapture as the guiding blueprint to return the party to power in 2028.
A member of his team emphasized that the consultations are designed to harness the collective wisdom of the party’s elder statesmen and fortify internal unity.
“You cannot rebuild a house by ignoring the architects,” the source said.
“He’s meeting the people who have led this party at the highest level. Their wisdom matters,” the team member added.
Political observers note that Afoko’s meetings with Dr. Bawumia and former President Akufo-Addo carry particular weight given their enduring influence over the party’s trajectory. The engagement with former President Kufuor, the NPP’s first president under the Fourth Republic, is being viewed as a deliberate gesture to anchor the party’s revival in institutional memory and cohesion.
Party insiders reveal that Afoko also used the discussions to advocate for restraint against internal recriminations, urging members to prioritize unity over blame in the aftermath of the 2024 loss.
He is further reported to have reaffirmed his stance that the party must elevate “competence over ethnicity” when electing its next National Chairman.
The consultative tour follows earlier engagements with the Ashanti Regional Council of Elders and Ashanti Regional Executives in Kumasi, underscoring Afoko’s nationwide campaign to connect with key stakeholders and party kingmakers.
Party sources characterize the recent engagements as an effort to “test the waters and mend fences” within the opposition party as it embarks on a critical phase of internal reorganisation.