Meet the Top Contenders to Replace Chairman Wontumi in Ashanti Region

Twenty aspirants have been cleared to contest six positions in the upcoming Ashanti Regional executive elections of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The elections are set to fill key positions following the jailing of Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, who was sentenced to 20 years in jail over illegal mining offences linked to Akonta Mining Company Limited's concession at Samreboi in the Western Region. Two aspirants, Henry Kwabena Kokofu and Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, are expected to contest to replace the jailed chairman.

Henry Kwabena Kokofu, a former Member of Parliament for Bantama and former chief executive of the Environmental Protection Agency, is seen as a strong contender for the position. He will be vetted alongside Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, a former constituency chairman of the NPP in Afigya Kwabre South.

The NPP held a vetting exercise on July 20 at the Hasta Hotel in Kumasi, where all 20 candidates successfully passed the process. The vetting committee conducted the screening, and the party has vowed to appeal Wontumi's sentence, citing that it is "politically motivated."

Photo: yen.com.gh

The Ashanti Region remains one of the NPP's most critical strongholds, making the outcome of the regional executive elections particularly significant for the party's organisational structure ahead of future electoral contests. The region will be watching closely as the elections unfold.

The contests for First Vice Chairman, Youth Organiser, and Nasara Coordinator are the most crowded, each attracting four cleared candidates. The contests for Second Vice Chairman and Treasurer will each be decided among three aspirants. The Communication Officer position stands as the sole head-to-head battle, with only two candidates cleared to face off.

The committee is scheduled to resume the vetting process on July 21, with 15 additional aspirants set to undergo screening for the remaining five executive positions. Those roles include Regional Chairman, Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Organiser, and Women's Organiser, all of which are expected to attract significant interest given their strategic importance to the party's operations in the Ashanti Region. The outcome of these elections will have a significant impact on the party's organisational structure ahead of future electoral contests.

Source: Yen Politics