Former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Awentami Afoko, has strongly criticized the party’s decision to hold its presidential primaries in January 2026, describing the move as a “big mistake.”
Afoko argued that the early primary date undermines the NPP’s traditional renewal process, which begins at the polling station level and progresses through the election of national executives before the selection of a flagbearer.
“Normally, this party goes through a renewal cycle every four years… that renewal starts from the polling stations all the way up. And after the national executive is in place, then you have a presidential primary,” he explained.
He stressed that his concerns are strictly procedural and not politically motivated.
“I don’t have a favourite when it comes to who I think should become the flagbearer of the NPP. I wish them well, but I don’t have a favourite,” Afoko added.
