Our attention has been drawn to the statement issued by the National Steering Committee regarding the annulment of elections in some constituencies within the Ashanti Region, as well as the subsequent public commentary seeking to portray Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) as having acted in defiance of the authority of the Party.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Chairman Wontumi has, throughout his political career, remained one of the most loyal, dedicated and committed servants of the New Patriotic Party. His unwavering commitment to the Party, its Constitution and its leadership is a matter of public record and cannot be erased by attempts to mischaracterise actions undertaken in the discharge of his official responsibilities.
It is important that members appreciate the facts.
The Constituency Executive Elections were conducted in accordance with the Party’s approved election framework. The Election Guidelines expressly provide that the Electoral Commission of Ghana shall conduct the Constituency Executive Elections under the supervision of the Constituency Elections Committee.
That Constituency Elections Committee itself is constituted to include a National Representative appointed by the National Steering Committee, a Regional Representative appointed by the Regional Steering Committee, and other designated officials.
The elections were therefore not a unilateral regional exercise. They were conducted within a framework established and supervised by organs of the Party, with the Electoral Commission playing its prescribed role under the Election Guidelines. 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.
That act was not an attempt to undermine the National Party. It was an administrative consequence of an electoral process that had already taken place. If, subsequently, the National Steering Committee formed the view that there were constitutional, regulatory or legal infractions affecting particular constituencies, then members are entitled to know the precise constitutional and evidential basis upon which such an extraordinary decision was reached.
Accordingly, the following legitimate questions arise:
- Under which specific provision of the governing Party Constitution or the 2026 Election Regulations did the National Steering Committee derive the authority to annul completed constituency elections?
- What specific findings were made in respect of each affected constituency?
- What evidence established that the elections were conducted in flagrant disregard of Party directives or subsisting court orders?
- Were the Regional Steering Committee, the Constituency Elections Committees and the affected candidates afforded an opportunity to respond before the decision was announced?
- If court injunctions formed part of the basis of the decision, which specific injunction related to which constituency, and at what stage was that information officially communicated to the Regional Leadership?
These are not acts of defiance. They are legitimate questions rooted in transparency, accountability and constitutional governance.
It is equally important to distinguish between supervisory authority and final adjudication. The Election Guidelines assign the National Steering Committee significant supervisory responsibilities over aspects of the electoral process and provide for appeals in certain election matters. Where such powers are exercised, however, members are entitled to expect that decisions of this magnitude will be supported by clear constitutional authority, established facts and procedural fairness.
The New Patriotic Party has always prided itself on being a democratic institution governed by rules rather than personalities. Those values are strengthened when difficult decisions are accompanied by transparency, reasons and due process.
Chairman Wontumi remains fully committed to the Constitution of the Party and to every lawful decision taken through its duly established organs. At the same time, he equally believes that every Party member and every Party organ has a responsibility to uphold fairness, consistency and constitutional accountability in the exercise of authority. Attempts to portray him as an individual who deliberately sought to undermine the Party are not only inaccurate but also inconsistent with his decades of sacrifice, service and unwavering commitment to the growth of the New Patriotic Party.
We therefore urge all Party members to refrain from inflammatory commentary and allow constitutional processes to prevail over speculation and public recrimination.
The strength of the NPP has never been in suppressing legitimate questions. It has always been in resolving them through fairness, transparency and respect for the Party’s Constitution.
Long Live the New Patriotic Party.
Signed
Media & Communications Directorate
The Wontumi Campaign Secretariat
