<<Print>>

The second vice national chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Sammy Crabbe, has said he will resist every attempt by individuals within the party to “perpetuate any illegality.”

He said the current developments within the party and especially moves to suspend a number of constituency chairmen for allegedly contradicting the party’s position on Mr Paul Afoko, the suspended party National Chairman, has the potential to affect the electoral fortunes of the NPP in 2016.

Speaking in an interview with The General Telegraph, Mr Crabbe, who was one time Greater Accra Regional chairman said, “I am not fighting the party, I am not fighting the national council and I am not fighting the National Executive Committee of the party but I am fighting the bunch of party members who are perpetuating illegality within the party.

“Nobody should think that I am alone in this. There are a number of members who are opposed to what is going on. In fact, I will resist every move to perpetuate illegality and until the right things are done, I will continue to fight for it.”

When pushed or reminded that he is likely to face sanctions because he is contradicting the party’s stance on Mr Afoko, Mr Crabbe said that as far as he is concerned, Mr Afoko who is still the National Chairman of the NPP and not Mr Freddy Blay. He said he would not attend any meeting called by Mr Blay.

“This is not the decision of the party. It is the decision of few who are bent on removing the two gentlemen from the party. They started by going through the regions to impeach them, they failed because they couldn’t get the 40 per cent votes. The latest attempt was what they are doing now, threatening and sacking people because they have said something.

“It’s a bunch of some people who want to create a revolution within the party and to take over,” he told The General Telegraph.

“We should learn to focus on how to remove President Mahama but not fighting our own party members. People should learn how to work with everybody within the party. You don’t need to like me before you work with me,” Mr Crabbe said.

On whether he recognizes Mr Blay as chairman, he retorted, “No, no, no I don’t see him [Blay] as chairman.” The party must respect the decision of delegates to the Tamale Congress which elected members of Afoko’s administration into power.

Reacting to Mr Crabbe’s position on the suspension of Mr Afoko, some members of the party have called his bluff. Nana Obiri Boahene, the deputy General Secretary says Mr Crabbe is free to leave the party if he so wishes.