Wontumi Confesses: COKA Gave Me A Tough Time In My Regional Chairmanship Contest

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias WontumI has confessed that his last regional chairmanship contest with Chairman Odeneho Kwaku Appiah (COKA) was tough to the extent that he had to sit on the floor at some point in time.

“To be quiet honest with you, in the last NPP chairmanship contest in Ashanti Region organised at the Baba Yara sports stadium, COKA gave me fierce contest to the extent that at some point l had to sit on the ground at the stadium. A whole Regional Chairman, I sat on the stadium ground because the contest became tough. So when I sat on the ground and had said I was pulling out of the contest, would I have won the regional chairmanship again? No. That is not how elections are contested”, Chairman Wontumi said in an interview with Kessben Fm in Kumasi.

Chairman wontumi retained his regional chairman position after a fierce contest with the former Afigya kwabre South constituency chairman of NPP, Odeneho kwaku Appiah in May, last year. He polled 464 votes to beat COKA with 306 votes, a difference of 158votes.

Chairman Wontumi who was responding to reports that the Dr. Mahmud Bawumia for president campaign team have been intimidating the Alan kyerematen team, hence the decision for Alan to pull out of the NPP presidential contest disclosed that ” now l am always with Chairman Odeneho Kwaku Appiah discussing the progress of NPP in Ashanti Region”.

“NPP believes in free and fair elections but l can tell you that NPP elections are always fierce and so you must always come prepared . So in a national elections if National Democratic Congress ( NDC) intimidates the NPP, should the Party withdraw from the contest?. That is not how things are done. So what if Alan kyerematen had won the super delegates elections organised in August 26, would he had pulled out from the November 4, contest?.

As things stand now, Alan kyerematen though may not lead the party as presidential candidate but chairman wontumi opined that Alan is a senior member of NPP who will continue to contribute to the development of the party.
“Alan kyerematen knows the history of NPP. Infact he has done well for NPP. Alan served in President kufuor government, he served in President Akufo Addo government as trade minister and when the Vice President, Dr. Bawumia wins the primaries and eventually wins the presidency, Alan will definitely get position”.

When asked about how he sees the contest now that Alan has withdrawn from the race, Chairman Wontumi stated that.
“The NPP started its internal reorganisation with the election of polling station executives who elected the constituency chairmen and their executives. The constituency executives elected regional and national executives. What is left is the presidential and parliamentary candidates elections.

The constituency chairpersons, regional and national executives and those in diaspora formed the electoral college who voted in the super delegates on August 26. In that elections Dr. Bawumia got over 68% . Nothing will change on November 4. The vice President will win and become the presidential candidate for NPP in 2024 elections. The over 600 people who voted for Dr. Bawumia in the super delegates election did so on behalf of their polling station executives and their constituents.”