Mustapha Gbande, the Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency and Deputy General Secretary for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), has bluntly told the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Chairman Wontumi, that an apology to President Mahama won’t save him.
According to Mustapha Gbande, President Mahama will never use his power to settle scores with people, highlighting that the president has no hand in the ongoing accountability project by state institutions.
He asserted that an apology is a good act, but not a cure for an act that is found to be criminal.
In a social media post on Facebook, Mustapha Gbande wrote, “For the avoidance of doubt, President Mahama is a forgiven leader with wisdom.
Never will he use power to settle scores with people. It is important to emphasise that, as President, he has no hand in the ongoing accountability project by state institutions; he is not a clearing agent.
An apology is a good act, but not a cure for an act that is found to be criminal or most likely to be criminal in nature by law”.
His comments come on the heels of Wontumi, who has disclosed he is not too big to apologise to President John Dramani Mahama.
According to Chairman Wontumi, if offered an opportunity to apologise to President John Dramani Mahama for any wrong he has done to him and his family, he will apologise.
Speaking in an interview with Asaasepa Radio, when asked if he would apologise to President Mahama when given the opportunity, Wontumi stated, “I am not bigger than any advice or apology. We apologise to our children when we offend them; how much more the first gentleman of the land? I am not bigger than an apology”.
In related news, the Accra High Court has thrown out an application by lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi seeking leave to withdraw his legal representation in the ongoing criminal case involving Akonta Mining Company Limited and Ashanti Regional New Patriotic Party Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
Reports suggest the court upheld a preliminary objection filed by the Attorney-General, ruling that the application was incompetent and had no legal requirement for counsel to seek the court’s permission before withdrawing legal services.
According to the Attorney-General, the motion raised no issues warranting judicial determination and should therefore not be entertained.
The court, in its ruling, sustained the State’s objection and struck out the application.
It further directed that the filing of closing addresses by parties in the matter remains optional.
The Accra High Court subsequently extended the deadline for the submission of any closing addresses to June 23, 2026, with the case adjourned to July 3, 2026, for judgment.
The development follows Lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi, who filed a motion to withdraw from his client’s Samreboi illegal mining case.
Meanwhile, Chairman Wontumi has broken his silence about the ongoing Samreboi case and the decision by his legal counsel, Lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi, to withdraw from the matter.
According to Chairman Wontumi, he is looking for a fair judgment and not looking for sympathy anywhere.
He further praised Lawyer Appiah-Kubi for his dedication and efforts throughout the case, adding that Lawyer Atta Akyea has been appointed to take over as his legal counsel in the case.
Speaking in an interview with Asaasepa Radio, Chairman Wontumi stated, “Andy Appiah-Kubi is a very good lawyer; I did not know much about the law, but having been with him, I have learned a lot from things happening in the courtroom. I only have praise for him for all that he has done”.
We are bringing Atta-Akyea; for me, what I am looking for is a fair judgment, a fair hearing and a fair system; I’m not looking for sympathy anywhere. So I brought Atta Akyea for him to ensure there is fairness”
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