A former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Awentami Afoko has detailed the emotional impact of his 2015 suspension from the party, admitting it left him so embittered that he avoided watching NPP-related content on television.

In an interview with Starr FM on Thursday, September 4, 2025, Paul Afoko disclosed that the ordeal, which he described as one of the most painful moments in his political career, led him to change channels whenever party officials appeared on TV.

“These days, when I see them on TV, I don’t change channels. I used to change channels because I couldn’t stand the sight of people I believed were liars,” he stated.

The former national chairman added that the betrayal he felt from individuals he deemed dishonest nearly pushed him out of politics entirely.

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“After my suspension had gone through and I went to court, and the court came up with that bizarre judgment, I walked away and said, ‘Never again.’ I’m not going to look for any active position in party politics, because it’s a thankless job,” he recounted.

He admitted that at the height of his frustration, the accusations and lies within the party left him “incandescent with rage.”

However, he stated that guidance from former President John Agyekum Kufuor helped him find peace.

“One day, I went over to former President Kufuor, and he said to me, ‘You’re still angry. Your anger is eating you. Let it go. Why are you angry?’” he recalled.

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By 2017, Afoko said he had begun to let go of his bitterness and could watch NPP activities on television without distress, marking a significant step in overcoming the emotional toll of his suspension on him.

Paul Afoko was elected National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on April 12, 2014, at the party’s Tamale congress, securing 2,034 votes to defeat Stephen Ntim.

But in October 2015, Paul Afoko was indefinitely suspended by the NPP’s National Executive Committee, on accusations of undermining then-flagbearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, amid allegations linked to the 2015 acid attack death of Upper East Regional Chairman Adams Mahama.

Afoko challenged the suspension in court, arguing it was unconstitutional, but the High Court dismissed his case in 2016.

The suspension, alongside those of Kwabena Agyapong and Sammy Crabbe, led to serious internal rifts in the NPP.

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