Ashanti Region Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has stated that until Kwabena Agyapong turns a new live, the suspended General Secretary will not be reinstated.
Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi in an interview with KSM said Mr Agyapong failed in his capacity as General Secretary as his conduct clearly showed that he wanted the party to lose the 2016 election.
The NPP suspended its 2nd Vice Chairman, Sammy Crabbe, alongside Mr. Agyapong in 2015, after they were accused of publicly rebelling against the party’s decision to indefinitely suspend its National Chairman, Paul Afoko.
The National Executive Committee of the party found him guilty of violating Article 3(D) of the party’s constitution which enjoins members to publicly uphold the decisions of the party, through various acts.
He was also accused of engaging in “unilateral actions and activities without consultation of, or authorization by the NEC [National Executive Council].”
Two years after his suspension, some constituency and polling station executives of the NPP have petitioned the party’s hierarchy for the reinstatement of Mr. Agyapong but Wontumi believes it will be politically suicidal to adhere to the requests. According to him, Mr. Agyapong is not a changed man.
“When we were seriously campaigning, they were distracting us. He needs to be born again. When you’re a leader, you must give respect to the people you serve. He has served before and knows what to do for a possible reinstatement which includes showing remorse, congratulating those who worked for the party to win power, gradually lobbying the National Council Executives before writing to the body for consideration. To say he has changed because he showed up during Akufo-Addo’s swearing-in ceremony etc. is not enough,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Mr Agyapong has dragged Wontumi and the Multimedia Group before the High Court over alleged defamatory comments.
Chairman Wontumi is alleged to have said on Nhyira FM and Neat FM that the indefinitely suspended General Secretary betrayed his party by associating with elements of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in a bid to work against the NPP.
In a letter dated October 30, 2017, Mr Agyapong’s lawyer, Nana Freduah Agyeman Osborn, said his client was requesting a retraction on the aforementioned radio stations where the said defamatory comments were made on Friday, November 3, 2017.
He also wants “an order of the court compelling the first defendant to pay an amount of GH¢400, 000 as punitive and exemplary damages to the plaintiff [him] for the defamatory comments”.
But an unfazed Wontumi says he is ready to meet Mr. Agyapong in court.
