By Grace Zigah
Despite being incarcerated and serving a 20-year prison sentence, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has taken a significant step towards contesting the National Chairman position of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), with his campaign team picking up nomination forms on his behalf.
The development was confirmed by Ewuradwoa Coleman, Communications Director of the Wontumi campaign team, who said the decision demonstrates that the former Ashanti Regional Chairman’s bid remains active despite his current legal circumstances.
“Yes indeed, the campaign team has picked up forms on behalf of Chairman Wontumi. We are continuing his bid in the National Chairmanship race,” she said.
The development introduces an unusual dimension to the NPP’s forthcoming national executive elections, as Wontumi seeks to move from his current position as Ashanti Regional Chairman to the party’s national leadership while simultaneously pursuing legal avenues to overturn his conviction.
Wontumi is currently serving a 20-year custodial sentence following his conviction by an Accra High Court over offences connected to illegal mining activities at the Samreboi concession in the Western Region. The case, which attracted considerable public and political attention, centred on allegations relating to the operation and facilitation of mining activities without the requisite approvals.
The court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, found him guilty on charges including the assignment of mineral rights without the required ministerial approval and the purposeful facilitation of unlicensed mining operations.
The sentences imposed on the various counts are running concurrently, leaving Wontumi with an effective 20-year prison term. The court also imposed a GH¢120,000 fine, with a three-year default custodial sentence in the event of non-payment. That default sentence is also to run concurrently with the principal 20-year term.
Wontumi has rejected the outcome of the trial and is challenging both his conviction and sentence through the appellate process. His lawyers have also filed an application seeking bail pending the hearing and determination of his appeal, meaning his legal battle remains active even as he serves his sentence.
Against that backdrop, the decision by his campaign team to proceed with the acquisition of nomination forms signals that his political ambitions have not been abandoned because of his incarceration. Instead, his supporters appear determined to keep his national chairmanship campaign alive while the courts consider his appeal and bail application.
The move could potentially create one of the most extraordinary leadership contests in the NPP’s recent history. Wontumi would be seeking the party’s National Chairmanship while remaining a serving prisoner and simultaneously challenging the legal basis of his conviction.
His political profile has grown considerably through his tenure as Ashanti Regional Chairman, where he became one of the NPP’s most visible and influential regional figures.
His supporters have often pointed to his organisational strength and role in the party’s activities in the Ashanti Region as reasons for his suitability for a national leadership position.
