Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman, Paul Afoko, has admitted that the party has lost significant ground since his time as chairman, as he continues his consultations with regional executives ahead of a possible return to active politics.

Afoko made the frank assessment during his engagement with NPP Regional Executives in Greater Accra on Thursday, May 21, 2026.

“You cannot sit back and say, oh, we are OK. We have lost a lot of ground, a lot of ground,” he stated.

He recalled the solid foundation laid during his tenure as National Chairman, when the party was fully prepared for the general elections.

“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,” he said.

Afoko described coming close to victory but falling short for reasons well known to party members.

“As I said yesterday somewhere, I saw the promised land, but I didn’t get there, for reasons that we all know. But that did not stop me from being an NPP member and following the party closely, because I love the party,” he said.

He explained that his long period of silence was a deliberate choice, despite the pain he felt at the time.

“All through the years that I have been silent, that was a deliberate decision I had made. Of course, there was pain at the time,” he stressed.

Afoko recounted how he eventually broke his silence after the NPP returned to power, only to face backlash for defending the new government.

“The first time I spoke to the media, I just got clapped back… I was asked the question, 100 days have passed. What has the new government achieved? And I said to them, I think you’re asking too much of a new government,” he said

He used a powerful analogy to explain why patience was needed.

“The ship of state is like a super tanker on the high seas. It cannot just turn around like a sports car. It takes time to turn around, a wide berth. Therefore, I think we should be patient and allow the government time to settle,” Afoko explained.

According to Afoko, the negative reaction to his comments forced him back into silence.

“Then the comments that followed, Afoko says, and that was it. And immediately, I realised, hm, so keep quiet, support quietly as you can. And I did. I supported quietly,” he said.

He revealed that even in silence, he actively supported some party members.

“There are people who I supported to get into parliament,” he said.

The former chairman’s latest engagement with Greater Accra executives is part of his broader tour aimed at reuniting and rebuilding the NPP following its recent electoral challenges.

Watch the full video below:

'I stayed silent on purpose' - Paul Afoko speaks



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