<<Print>>Embattled chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Paul Afoko, has broken his silence on his suspension, saying he is "hurt, mad and disappointed by the decision which received an overwhelming endorsement Thursday.
"I'm sad, hurt, angry, mad and disappointed....but you know what? I will put on a smile. God is in the middle of the storm. It is well," he stated in a Facebook post Friday afternoon.
Mr. Afoko's lawyer, Martin Kpebu had on Thursday night indicated their intention to head to court to seek redress after the party's National Council which is the second highest decision-making body affirmed the earlier decision that indefinitely suspended him.
It, is however, not clear whether Mr. Afoko would pursue the intended legal action against the decision in view of his latest post which appears to suggest he has taken the decision in good faith notwithstanding his disagreement.
A unanimous vote by the party's National Executive Committee on October 23 indefinitely suspended Mr. Afoko and made his first Vice Chair, Freddie Blay the acting chairman; a decision that been challenged by Mr Afoko and some party members.
After back and forth, Mr Afoko on Monday appealed the decision of the NEC at the National Council level stating constitutional breaches as the basis of the 14-paged petition, which prompted the highest decision-making body of the party after congress, to meet over the matter Thursday afternoon.
After a long deliberations, the Council concluded the decision of the NEC should remain until further notice.
"The decision was by voting; one dissenting, six absentia, and 70 votes in favour of the motion to affirm the decision," General Secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyepong announced at the end of the marathon meeting attended by former President John Kufuor and flagbearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
But moments after the decision, Mr. Afoko's lawyer, Martin Kpebu, arrived at the embattled chairman's office begin preparing a writ to challenge the Council's decision. His lawyer told tv3network.com that the writ was likely to be filed latest by Monday, but declined to give further details.