I don't believe that NP had the power to accept or reject a deal as not only do certain offers have to be brought directly to shareholders, but as has been stated many times, the longer the silence, the less chance there was actually something in the works at all.

There has to be a bigger reason that the Board wasted 2 more months with NP and then fired him, because it isn't as if him missing goals and killing the SP is something new over the last 2 months.