Mussa Dankwah, the Executive Director and Head of Research at Global InfoAnalytics, has warned the New Patriotic Party (NPP) against electing incarcerated Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as its National Chairman.
According to Mussa Dankwah, Wontumi is not Mandela, arguing that electing him while in jail will not attract elite voters.
He highlighted that the party needs to focus on rebuilding its electoral fortunes ahead of the next general election rather than making a political statement by choosing a chairman who is serving a prison sentence.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, Mussa Dankwah stated, “I don’t think he will win… Because you see, the NPP needs a direction. They need to find a way to win the next election. Electing Wontumi from prison will not make that possible. They should be realistic about these things. Wontumi is not Mandela.”
“Polling shows that the majority of Ghanaian voters are highly educated now. Nearly 70% of them have senior high and above qualifications”.
“So, the political situation has changed dramatically in this country. And these are the people who want a new type of politics. And already the polls are showing that NPP has lost their elite voters,” he said.
He added, “This shenanigans will not attract elite voters to NPP. And these are the people they need to start winning their hearts and minds to win the next election”.
Mussa Dankwah’s comment follows Chairman Wontumi, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman hopeful, who has been incarcerated, picking up nomination forms to contest the party’s National Chairman position.
Ewuradwoa Coleman, the Communications Director of Wontumi’s campaign team, made this known.
Speaking in an interview with Joy News, Ewuradwoa Coleman stated, “Yes indeed, the campaign team has picked up forms on behalf of Chairman Wontumi. We are continuing his bid in the National Chairmanship race”.
“If there is a legal or constitutional impediment to his candidacy, we believe that the appropriate party or competent authority would definitely determine that in accordance with the rules, but politically, we believe that his incarceration would automatically not be equated with the end of his political ambitions.”
Wontumi is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after an Accra High Court found him guilty of charges linked to illegal mining activities at the Samreboi concession in the Western Region.
However, despite his incarceration and ongoing legal troubles, his campaign team has proceeded with his bid for the NPP National Chairman position by obtaining the nomination forms on his behalf.
Earlier, Dr Palgrave Boakye Danquah, the Spokesperson for Chairman Wontumi, maintained that the incarceration will not stop him from pursuing his ambition to lead the party.
According to Dr Palgrave Boakye Danquah, Wontumi’s campaign team remains committed to his bid and will take the necessary steps to ensure that he can participate in the party’s upcoming national executive elections.
Speaking in an interview with TV3 on Wednesday, August 19, Dr Danquah said the imprisonment of the former Ashanti Regional Chairman does not invalidate his decision to contest the National Chairmanship position.
He made known that the campaign team intends to acquire the nomination forms on behalf of Wontumi and personally take them to him in prison for completion.
Dr Palgrave Boakye Danquah argued that even if Wontumi is elected as National Chairman while still in prison, his incarceration would not make it impossible for him to perform the functions of the office.
He stated, “We will pick forms for Wontumi. We will take them to him in prison to complete and compete for the position.
“When Chairman Wontumi was jailed, the party’s General Secretary held a press conference and announced that Chairman Wontumi is a political prisoner. That is the position of the party on this issue.”
“The national executive is made up of other members, vice chairmen and others. Nsawam Prison is only about sixty minutes away; they can discuss issues when they visit him.”
The development follows questions about whether Chairman Wontumi can legally or constitutionally contest a leadership position within the NPP while serving a prison sentence.
Wontumi is seeking to become the next National Chairman of the NPP and is competing against several prominent figures including former General Secretary John Boadu, former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko and former National Chairman Paul Afoko.
Meanwhile, before Wontumi’s conviction, an outspoken foot soldier of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has boldly stated that even if he was jailed, they will still vote massively for him to become the party’s National Chairman.
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