After three days of a drama-filled nationwide election, the Ashanti Region retained its Chairman, Mr Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
He polled 464 votes to defeat his keen contender, Odeneho Kwaku Appiah who garnered 306 votes at the end of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Regional Delegates Conference.
The elections came off from Friday, May 27 through to Sunday, May 29, 2022.
In the lead-up to the election, pollsters made predictions, many of which were not in favour of Chairman Wontumi. However, the vociferous man remained convinced that he would retain the seat against all odds.
He said in an interview with journalists, “since 1992 to 2016, elections have been different or every 8 years elections change so in 2016, it was about 2.2 million people who voted in the Ashanti Region.
“We have increased the votes in the Ashanti Region since I became chairman by God’s grace. We have another strategy to break the eight.”
But speaking on the Anopa Bofoↄ morning show with host Kwamena Sam Biney, some followers of the chairman blamed the party leadership for the challenges Mr Antwi Boasiako faced.
According to them, they did not appreciate the good works the chairman did in the past dedicating himself and his resources to the service of the party.
They claimed that he could have done better in the just-ended election and recent general elections – December 7, 2020 – claiming the 47 seats in the Ashanti Region as he promised, if the party officials rallied behind him.
One of his supporters, Yaw Attakorah Amaniampong who is a former Bosumi Constituency Chairman, alleged that the party failed to claim the lost seats in the region because the officials sat aloof on grounds that Wontumi was the one who made the promise and therefore was expected to fulfill it.
“But the party is not a one-man affair,” the former Chairman said, adding, “someone who has dedicated himself and resources to the service of the party, the officials have neglected him. For example, someone [Wontumi] who has given out his own money for the funding of the party office, no one has supported him with his money.”
Mr Kwame Owusu who is the Adansi Asokwa Constituency Chairman, also alleged that the national executives of the party altered the election album which was forwarded to them for perusal, an act he deemed to be in bad faith.
“Album put together and sent to the National Executive to be returned to the region had some names in it replaced,” Mr Kwame Owusu said on the Anopa Bofoↄ show which was simulcasted on Angel TV on Monday, May 30, 2022
“As National Executives, if you are sitting and watching some of these things happen, what shows that you support the party?” he quizzed.
The constituency chairman in the Ashanti region further alleged that the party tends to be opposed to persons who are non-conformists to the dictates of officials, which Wontumi is a victim of because he is vocal.
“The NPP dislikes people who are confident and bold who are not patsies to the officials…Ask Kennedy Agyapong and he’ll tell you the number of people who have filed petitions with the National Chairman for his removal from office–Uncountable. Just because he is outspoken.”
“They want someone who is “la la su la la”–one who will sleep when instructed to, but Wontumi is not like that,” Mr Kwame Owusu stated.
