Wontumi campaign denies defying NPP, demands legal basis for Ashanti election annulments

The Wontumi Campaign Secretariat has rejected allegations that Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, defied the authority of the party by swearing in some constituency executives whose elections were later annulled.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Secretariat described such claims as false, insisting that Chairman Wontumi acted in good faith and within the framework of the party's approved election guidelines.

The statement follows an announcement by the NPP's National Steering Committee annulling constituency executive elections in some constituencies in the Ashanti Region, a move that sparked criticism after Chairman Wontumi administered the oath of office to some elected executives.

Defending the Regional Chairman's actions, the Secretariat said the constituency elections were conducted under the supervision of the Electoral Commission of Ghana and Constituency Elections Committees established in accordance with the party's election guidelines.

It noted that the committees included representatives appointed by both the National and Regional Steering Committees, arguing that the elections were not a unilateral exercise undertaken by the Ashanti Regional leadership.

According to the statement, there had been no official communication nullifying the elections at the time Chairman Wontumi swore in the executives.

"Having emerged from that electoral process, and 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.

The Secretariat maintained that the swearing-in was merely an administrative consequence of a completed electoral process and not an attempt to undermine the authority of the national leadership.

It, however, called on the National Steering Committee to provide the constitutional and legal basis for its decision to annul the elections.

Among the questions raised were the specific provisions of the NPP Constitution or the 2026 Election Regulations empowering the committee to invalidate completed elections, the findings made against each affected constituency, the evidence supporting allegations of breaches of party directives or court orders, and whether affected stakeholders were given an opportunity to respond before the decision was announced.

The Secretariat also sought clarification on which court injunctions, if any, applied to the affected constituencies and when such information was officially communicated to the regional leadership.

It stressed that the questions were not acts of defiance but legitimate calls for transparency, accountability and adherence to constitutional governance within the party.

Reaffirming Chairman Wontumi's loyalty to the NPP, the statement said he remains committed to the party's Constitution and lawful decisions taken through its recognised organs, while also believing that fairness, consistency and due process must underpin the exercise of authority.

The Secretariat urged party members to refrain from inflammatory public commentary and allow constitutional processes to address the matter, saying the strength of the NPP lies in resolving disputes through fairness, transparency and respect for its Constitution.