The Wontumi Campaign Secretariat has defended Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, following the National Steering Committee’s decision to annul constituency executive elections in parts of the Ashanti Region.
In a statement released by the Media & Communications Directorate, the Secretariat described attempts to portray Chairman Wontumi as defiant as “inaccurate” and insisted his actions were consistent with Party rules and administrative procedure.
“He Acted In Good Faith”
According to the statement, the affected constituency elections were conducted under the Party’s approved election framework with the Electoral Commission of Ghana playing a supervisory role.
The Secretariat noted that each Constituency Elections Committee included a National Representative appointed by the National Steering Committee and a Regional Representative appointed by the Regional Steering Committee.
“In the absence of any communicated determination setting aside those elections at the material time, Chairman Wontumi proceeded, in good faith and in his capacity as Regional Chairman, to administer the oath of office to executives whose elections had been declared,” the statement said.
It added that the swearing-in was “an administrative consequence of an electoral process that had already taken place” and not an attempt to undermine national authority.
5 Key Questions Raised
The Secretariat posed 5 questions to the National Steering Committee regarding the annulment:
Under which specific provision of the Party Constitution or 2026 Election Regulations did the National Steering Committee derive authority to annul completed constituency elections?
What specific findings were made in respect of each affected constituency?
What evidence established that elections were conducted in flagrant disregard of Party directives or court orders?
Were the Regional Steering Committee, Constituency Elections Committees and affected candidates afforded an opportunity to respond before the decision was announced?
If court injunctions formed part of the basis, which specific injunction related to which constituency and when was it communicated to Regional Leadership?
The statement described these as “legitimate questions rooted in transparency, accountability and constitutional governance.
”Distinction Between Supervision And Adjudication
The Secretariat also drew a distinction between the National Steering Committee’s supervisory role and final adjudication powers, arguing that “decisions of this magnitude” should be supported by “clear constitutional authority, established facts and procedural fairness.
“Chairman Wontumi remains fully committed to the Constitution of the Party and to every lawful decision taken through its duly established organs,” the statement stressed. “At the same time, he equally believes that every Party member and every Party organ has a responsibility to uphold fairness, consistency and constitutional accountability.”
Call For Calm
The Campaign team urged NPP members to “refrain from inflammatory commentary and allow constitutional processes to prevail over speculation and public recrimination.
“The strength of the NPP has never been in suppressing legitimate questions. It has always been in resolving them through fairness, transparency and respect for the Party’s Constitution,” it concluded
The statement comes days after a petition by the Grassroots Patriotic Alliance also called for the immediate retraction of the communiqué annulling the elections.
The National Steering Committee is yet to provide a detailed response to the questions raised.
