A former Headmaster of Bawku Secondary School has publicly vouched for the integrity and leadership credentials of New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart, Paul Awentami Afoko, describing him as a man capable of helping restore unity within the opposition party ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Mr Robert Ajene, a respected educationist and former headmaster of the school, said he had known Mr Afoko since the 1960s when he admitted him into Form One at Bawku Secondary School.
Speaking on Afoko’s decision to formally notify the NPP hierarchy of his intention to contest the party’s National Chairman position, Mr Ajene said his endorsement was based on decades of personal knowledge of the former party chairman aspirant’s character and conduct.
“I bear witness to his leadership qualities because I admitted him to Bawku Secondary School and there were times he stayed with me,” Mr Ajene stated. adding “I am bearing testimony to his distinguished integrity, an integrity that can be of great help to the NPP.”
According to him, Mr Afoko has officially begun consultations with the party’s Council of Elders, regional executives and patrons as part of efforts to seek guidance and support ahead of the internal contest.
The intervention by the former headmaster comes at a time the NPP is confronting renewed calls for reconciliation and internal restructuring following the party’s electoral setback in 2024.
Mr Ajene argued that the NPP still possesses the political strength to return to power in 2028, but cautioned that internal division could undermine that objective if party leaders fail to promote tolerance and cohesion.
“NPP has the potential, and the only way to harness that potential is through unity,” he stressed adding, “Let’s get our acts together.”
He maintained that many of the party’s challenges were internally generated and, therefore, require deliberate efforts at healing and democratic tolerance.
“The biggest problem is unity. We need a large heart of tolerance in democracy. The challenges were self-inflicted, and we know them one by one,” he added.
Mr Ajene’s remarks are expected to deepen ongoing conversations within the NPP over the type of leadership needed to reposition the party ahead of the next electoral cycle.
For the veteran educationist, Afoko represents a leadership figure whose perceived integrity, long political experience and conciliatory posture could help rebuild trust and broaden the party’s internal appeal as it seeks to reorganise for 2028.
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