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Release
NPP
November 18, 2015
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PRESS STATEMENT BY THE NATIONAL
CHAIRMAN OF THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP) - PAUL AWENTAMI
AFOKO
Date: November 18, 2015
Ladies and gentlemen of the media thank you for coming.
I have invited you here to today to share my concerns
regarding some recent developments in our dear party, the
New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The destiny of our great party is threatened by the flagrant
disregard for the party’s constitution. This emerging trend
of blatant constitutional breaches and illegalities is
alarming.
On Sunday April 13th, 2014, I swore an oath at the National
Delegates Congress in Tamale to defend and uphold the
constitution of the party to over 5,000 delegates, members
and supporters of this great party of ours and this is
exactly what I intend to do.
I have watched my party slide down the slippery slope
towards destruction. Our party is in danger of shredding its
democratic credentials. It started with intimidation,
insults and abuse on air, physical attacks and now
intolerance of Freedom of Speech and dissent, and of late,
killings.
In the last few months, some members of our party have taken
steps that are in clear breach of the constitution of our
party.
As you can all recall, on October 23, 2015, an illegal
National Executive Committee issued a statement purporting
to have suspended the National Chairman of the party. The
processes adopted were illegal. Our party’s constitution
clearly provides the legal processes for the removal of
constituency, regional and national officers as follows:
1. In the case of a complaint against a member of the
National Executive Council (NEC) the complaint is sent to
the National Council (NC).
2. The NC then refers the complaint to the National
Disciplinary Committee.
3. The National Disciplinary Committee then investigates and
sends its recommendations back to the National Council.
4. If the matter relates to the removal of an elected
national officer, then Article 10 clauses1 – 5 apply. The
import of these clauses is as follows:
If members wish to remove an elected officer, they must get
at least 40% of the delegates that elected that officer, to
petition to remove that officer. The affected officer will
be given the opportunity to appear before a committee set up
by the National Council.
The National Council may suspend the officer, before
subsequently an Extraordinary Delegates Conference is
convened to deliberate and decide on the matter. This is the
only time an officer of the party can be suspended. Even
then, when suspension is invoked, it should not exceed one
month. Therefore, an indefinite suspension of an elected
officer is tantamount to a removal of that officer.
5. If the decision borders on removal and the person is an
appointed NEC member, then Article 10 (6) applies.
Contrary to the constitutional requirements, regrettably, a
few of our members, bent on overturning the decision of the
party in Tamale perpetrated the following:
1. Baseless petitions were sent directly to the National
Disciplinary Committee by the Council of Elders, and two
separate others from individual members of the same Council
of Elders.
2. The Disciplinary Committee, without any referral from the
National Council, illegally invoked its own jurisdiction.
What makes this worse is that some members of the Council of
Elders from which the complaint emanated against me, are
also members of the Disciplinary Committee.
Under the rules of natural justice, some of the members of
the National Disciplinary Committee are precluded from
determining the substantive complaint against the National
Chairman as these members will be both petitioners and
judges in their own case.
3. The disciplinary committee, without ruling on my legal
objections as stated earlier, proceeded to recommend my
suspension.
4. Further compounding the breaches of the constitution, the
disciplinary committee sent their recommendations to NEC via
the National 1st Vice Chairman and recommended that he
convene and chair an emergency NEC meeting to consider their
recommendations, even though I, the National Chairman, was
in the jurisdiction, willing, able and ready to
convene such a meeting. I wish to put it on record that I
received no such document from the disciplinary committee.
All these are contrary to article 9 (6) d(ii), which states:
“the National Chairperson shall be the convener of all the
meetings of the National Delegates Conference, the National
Council, the National Executive Committee and the Steering
Committee.
5. The National 1st Vice Chairman then went ahead to further
breach the constitution by hastily convening and chairing an
illegal NEC meeting, despite my pointing out and cautioning
them about the illegality.
6. The illegal NEC meeting adopted the illegal
recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee.
7. Following the rules and procedures laid down by the
constitution, I appealed against these illegalities to the
National Council.
8. The 1st Vice Chairman, in further breach, went ahead and
convened another illegal National Council Meeting, when
according to the constitution and convention, I should
convene and recuse myself where the matter concerns me.
9. Instead of the National Council deciding on the legal
objections that I raised, they rather went ahead and
affirmed the illegal decision of an illegal NEC meeting in
an apparent coersive manner.
Constitutional breaches
The decision to suspend me is unconstitutional.
The National Disciplinary Committee does not have
jurisdiction to determine a matter with the effect of
suspending indefinitely an elected Party officer from office
contrary to Article 10 of our constitution which focuses on
the removal of elected party officers.
This is a clear breach of the
rules of natural justice and of the provisions of Article
4(5)(b).
Emboldened by these unconstitutional actions, Regional
Executive Committees have subsequently suspended 21
constituency and regional officers who questioned the wisdom
of a party, built on democratic principles and the rule of
law, taking such contrary actions.
The question for now though is “who will be next and when
will this end?”. This is arbitrary and unlawful.
All of these unconstitutional acts constitute a substantial
threat to our vision of development in freedom. It is a
threat to freedom of conscience, association and expression
and constitutes a clear and present danger to our party’s
values.
It is illogical to suspend officers who are supposed to work
to win elections. For instance, we have no Parliamentarians
in the Volta & Upper West regions and we need all our
executives to be on the ground working to ensure we win both
the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Such
actions constitute an attack on the party’s fortunes.
Unless urgent action is taken to stop these gross
illegalities, I am filled with foreboding for the future of
our party.
The outcome of the vote at the illegal National Council
Meeting following my petition was not in the least
surprising. All those who voted at that council meeting
worked against my candidature. Their opposition and
machinations notwithstanding, the National Delegates
Conference, the highest decision making body of the party,
bought into my message of “ New Plan for Power” and gave me
their mandate to serve them as our party’s National
Chairman. I am eternally grateful for this courageous
decision by the party delegates..
Our party is known to believe in the Rule of Law. We used to
be the embodiment of a truly democratic party. As such, the
unfortunate developments permeating our party today call for
great concern. All well -meaning NPP members and lovers of
the party and indeed lovers of democracy must rise up and
save our party’s democracy from these illegal acts that are
alien to our tradition.
At this point, I can’t help but reflect on the recent
statement from the Christian Council, portions of which I
quote as follows;
1. “Our Politicians must demonstrate their strengths and
influence by their ability to dialogue and engage others
based on ideas, rather than mobilizing people to insult,
attack and to some extent kill in their quest to exert their
authority”.
2. “ The use of coercion by some politicians to have their
way on matters that are not in their favour is extremely
frightening. It is now obvious that, people who challenge
those who are perceived to be untouchable within the
political circles are not safe”
3. “ This is gradually creating a culture of silence and
fear in our body politic and it is dangerous for our
democracy”.
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Ladies and Gentlemen, these statements speak to what in my
view, is happening in our party today.
Because of the actions of some individuals within our party,
the perception is being created that a culture of silence
and fear is permeating our body politic. This is dangerous
for our democracy.
Conclusion
In my moments of reflection during these difficult times, I
can’t help but ponder over these thought provoking questions
that I read years ago, and which I find appropriate at this
time;
Vanity will ask: ‘is it popular ?’
Cowardice will ask: ‘is it safe ?’
Expedience will ask: ‘is it politically correct ?’
Conscience will however ask: ‘is it RIGHT ?’
I shall follow my Conscience and do what is RIGHT.
I shall uphold my oath and defend the constitution of the
NPP at all times. In this quest, having exhausted all
avenues available to me in the party, I am left with no
option than to seek interpretation of our constitution in a
court of law, before these series of illegalities affect our
fortunes in the 2016 elections.
This I seek to do not for Paul Awentami Afoko! This I seek
to do in the interest of the party. This I seek to do for
the protection of all party members and elected officers,
including the Presidential Candidate. This I seek to do for
the preservation of our party’s integrity and democratic
credentials. If we allow the constitution of our party to be
ridiculed and bastardised the way some people seek to do,
then we will have a party without a soul.
This is about winning the 2016 elections and sustaining it.
I call upon all who love freedom to uphold the party’s
constitution at all times.
I would like to leave you with one of my favourite quotes
from a renowned, successful and world acclaimed leader of
our tradition;
“The real test of a democracy is not just the right of a
minority to disagree, but the right of an individual to
disagree with the majority and still feel secure” – Dr. K.A.
Busia
Long Live NPP!
Long Live Ghana!
God bless you all!
Thank you.
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