The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has strongly indicated his intention to contest the national chairmanship position despite facing an ongoing illegal mining trial at the High Court in Accra. In a social media post on Tuesday, he emphasized that the party requires selfless, courageous and grassroots leadership ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Wontumi stated that these qualities define his political identity and represent what the NPP needs at this critical juncture. The post read, “In these times, we need leadership that is selfless, courageous, and firmly rooted in the grassroots. I am built for the battle ahead.”
The announcement comes as the three-term Ashanti Regional Chairman battles six criminal charges related to mining operations at his Samreboi concession in the Western Region. Wontumi, along with Kwame Antwi (currently at large) and his company Akonta Mining, stands accused of assigning mineral rights without approval and deliberately facilitating unlicensed mining operations, contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) as amended.
The trial, which commenced on January 12, 2026, has already heard testimony from two prosecution witnesses. Michael Gyedu Ayisi, the first witness, admitted under cross-examination that he possessed no documentary evidence linking Wontumi to an alleged concession transfer. The second witness, Henry Okum, testified that Wontumi had handed over the Samreboi concession to him for mining operations.
Wontumi was arrested on October 7, 2025, and granted bail totaling 25 million Ghana cedis across two separate cases. The High Court has restricted him from leaving the country and placed him on an immigration stop list. He must report to Criminal Investigations Department (CID) investigators twice monthly, specifically on the first and third Monday of every month.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman first publicly declared his national chairmanship ambitions in May 2025, stating that divine guidance had confirmed his decision. He has consistently maintained that his extensive grassroots work and personal financial investment in party activities over the past decade position him as the ideal candidate to lead the NPP to victory in 2028.
In a televised interview earlier, Wontumi highlighted his record of financing nomination forms for thousands of party aspirants in 2014 and 2018, along with contributing 1 billion old cedis (approximately 100,000 United States dollars) to stabilize the 2015 National Congress in Tamale.
However, uncertainty remains about whether party delegates will approve his candidacy given the ongoing legal proceedings. The NPP has not yet officially opened nominations for national executive positions. Multiple candidates have expressed interest in the national chairmanship, including former General Secretary John Boadu, former Vice Chairman Sammy Crabbe, and others.
Wontumi’s potential candidacy would be historic if successful, as the NPP has never had a national chairman from the Ashanti Region despite its status as the party’s electoral stronghold. From Peter Ala Adjetey to Stephen Ntim, all previous national chairmen have come from regions outside Ashanti.
Political analysts suggest that Wontumi’s legal challenges could significantly impact his chances, as the NPP typically prioritizes candidates with unblemished records for top leadership positions. The party constitution grants considerable discretion to delegates in assessing the suitability of candidates.
The NPP is expected to hold its national officers’ election later in 2026 as part of preparations for the 2028 presidential and parliamentary elections. The party suffered a decisive defeat in the December 2024 general elections, losing both the presidency and its parliamentary majority.
