Paul Afoko, an aspiring National Chairperson of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has dismissed opinion polls on the party’s upcoming chairmanship race, stressing that the only poll that matters is the actual vote on October 3. His remarks came in response to a Global InfoAnalytics survey released on August 20, 2026, which placed former NPP General Secretary John Boadu ahead of other contenders, with 27% support compared to 15% for former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko and 10% for Afoko.
Speaking to Citi News at a thanksgiving service for the newly elected Ashanti Regional Executives at Gracefields Chapel in the Nhyiaeso Constituency, Afoko expressed confidence that his message was resonating with delegates nationwide. “I don’t believe in any polls. The only poll I believe in is the October 3 poll here in Kumasi,” he said.
“How do I rate my chances? I mean, for the places I have been to, I think the message is resonating. That is what I would say. The message is resonating. But I don’t believe in any polls,” he added. Mr Afoko said other polls were merely speculative because it was impossible to determine whether respondents were being truthful about their preferences.
“All other polls are just speculation. And as they say, you can’t enter into a person’s mind and know whether they are telling you the truth or not,” he said. He added that his decision to remain in the contest demonstrated his confidence in his chances of winning. “So I wouldn’t be here campaigning if I thought I was going to lose. I wouldn’t,” Mr Afoko said.
The thanksgiving service was organised by the newly elected Ashanti Regional Executives, led by Chairman Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, popularly known as Asanteman COKA. Mr Afoko said his presence at the event was largely to show solidarity with the new regional leadership, describing the Ashanti Region as the “heartbeat” and stronghold of the NPP.
“I actually came around for several reasons, but this has been the prime. And my reason for being here is the fact that Asante is the heartbeat of our party. It’s the stronghold, it’s our heartbeat,” he said. He said the election of new regional executives presented an opportunity for the party to renew its structures following recent electoral setbacks.
“So with the election of a new executive, I believe very strongly that it is a renewal for the party. And it is good for all of us to come here to show solidarity and to encourage them to do the work that is required,” he said. Mr Afoko also expressed optimism that the NPP could reclaim the seven parliamentary seats it lost in the Ashanti Region in the 2024 elections.
He noted that the Ashanti Region currently holds 40 of the party’s parliamentary seats and said efforts to rebuild constituencies where the NPP suffered losses could help consolidate the party’s position in the region. Mr Afoko, however, stressed that unity would be essential to the NPP’s efforts to regain power.
“The one prerequisite of power is unity. And this is the same thing I’ve been carrying around. Once we are ready to stop discrimination, once we are able to forget that and remember that our unity was formed here in Asante, in Kumasi especially, when we had our tradition, we came together here in Kumasi,” he said.
He recalled the party’s roots in the United Party (UP) tradition and called on members to revive the sense of unity that characterised its formative years. “Those days they used to call us UP tradition. We have reached that point again. We have to find our unity,” he said.
Mr Afoko also expressed confidence in the new Ashanti Regional Chairman, Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, saying his extensive experience in party organisation would be instrumental in rebuilding the NPP in the region.
“Once we find our unity and COKA does his job very well, which I believe he will because he’s experienced, he’s held constituency chairmanship and all that, then yes, the future of our party in Asante is bright,” he said.
