Growing concerns within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have intensified calls for Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to step aside from the party’s national chairmanship contest following reports that he has filed for plea negotiations in the GH¢30 million Exim Bank case.
Adding his voice to the debate, NPP member Kofi Ofosu Nkansah urged Wontumi to temporarily withdraw from the race and focus on addressing his legal challenges.
According to Nkansah, if reports suggesting that Wontumi has admitted wrongdoing and opted for a plea bargain are accurate, it would be in the party’s best interest for him to suspend his chairmanship ambitions until the matter is resolved.
“If Chairman Wontumi has admitted guilt in the Exim case and is going for plea bargain, then respectfully, he should withdraw from the NPP chairmanship race and focus on his legal battles,” he stated.
Nkansah also questioned the rationale behind pursuing a plea arrangement if the issue was merely related to a loan repayment obligation.
“It is a loan you took which you can pay back, so why go for plea bargain?” he asked.
While acknowledging his personal relationship with the Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Nkansah maintained that the party’s reputation and electoral prospects must come first.
“Chairman is my good friend and we interact often, but the interest of NPP is more important,” he said.
He argued that it would be difficult for the opposition party to effectively project itself as an alternative government if its national chairman is preoccupied with court-related matters.
“We can’t be talking about our chairman’s convictions when he is supposed to lead us to get power. Not good for brand NPP,” he added.
The comments follow reports that Wontumi has initiated plea negotiations in connection with the GH¢30 million Exim Bank case, a development that has generated significant discussion within the party ahead of its internal elections.
