New Patriotic Party (NPP) national chairmanship hopeful Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has taken his campaign to the Eastern Region, where he appealed for unity among party executives while pushing back firmly against critics questioning his academic qualifications.
Addressing party officials in the Kwahu enclave, Wontumi argued that his three terms as Ashanti Regional Chairman, the party’s most critical stronghold, made him more than qualified to lead at the national level. “All my life I have served the NPP as a regional chairman. If the Ashanti Region is our stronghold and I have served three times as chairman there, why can’t I serve as national chairman?” he told the gathering.
He was equally direct in dismissing the credentials scrutiny. “People look up to me during elections. Why didn’t they ask of my certificate at the time? Now that I am vying, you are now asking,” he said, framing the questions as politically motivated and inconsistent.
On party unity, Wontumi urged members to close ranks despite lingering internal tensions following the NPP’s heavy defeat in the December 2024 general elections, warning that the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) was creating an opening that the NPP could exploit if it remained cohesive. “Inasmuch as the national party has done well to unite supporters after the presidential election, much more is needed to completely bring everyone on board,” he said.
He also formally presented himself as a unifying figure for NPP Flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s 2028 campaign. “This is where I present myself as the servant that you can trust to unite everyone to ensure that we work for the victory of the NPP and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in 2028,” Wontumi declared.
His campaign tour comes alongside an active legal battle. Wontumi faces six criminal charges related to mining operations at his Samreboi concession in the Western Region, with his trial having commenced on January 12, 2026 at the High Court in Accra. He was arrested in October 2025 and granted bail totalling 25 million Ghana cedis, with the court restricting him from leaving the country. His lawyers have since filed an application challenging a High Court ruling that dismissed a submission of no case, with both sides agreeing on April 2, 2026 as the next hearing date.
Other declared contenders for the chairmanship include former General Secretary John Boadu, former Vice Chairman Sammy Crabbe, and former Energy Minister Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko. The NPP has not yet officially opened nominations for national executive positions.
