Some NPP MP siting on the floor infront of the EOCO headoffice
Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr Rasheed Draman has described the Minority’s walkout from Parliament over the detention of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as lacking strategic merit in the current parliamentary landscape.
In an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Thursday, May 29, 2025, Dr Draman argued that the Minority’s decision to stage a walkout and threaten to boycott parliamentary proceedings is ineffective, given the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s strong majority in the ninth Parliament.
“What’s the value of a walkout when the NDC has enough members to form a quorum and conduct government business?” he questioned.
The Minority, led by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, walked out of Parliament on Thursday to protest Wontumi’s detention by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
Wontumi is under investigation for allegedly causing financial loss to the state and was granted bail set at GH₵ 50 million, which he has been unable to meet, leading to a night in custody.
Following the walkout, Minority MPs, alongside NPP executives, marched to EOCO’s headquarters in Accra to demand a review of the bail conditions.
Dr Draman, however, urged the Minority to adopt a more constructive approach by staying in Parliament to hold institutions accountable.
“This is not the Eighth Parliament, where a few members could disrupt proceedings. The numbers in the Ninth Parliament don’t support such tactics,” he said.
He further cautioned that walkouts could be perceived as political posturing rather than a genuine push for justice, advising MPs to “stay in the House and demand answers” to address their concerns effectively.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Justice Srem Sai has revealed that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) is investigating Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), for serious criminal allegations, including fraud, causing financial loss to the State, and money laundering.
In a social media post on Thursday, May 29, 2025, Justice Srem Sai announced that Wontumi, detained by EOCO since Tuesday, May 27, 2025, is also a suspect in a separate investigation tied to a wider international organised crime network.