Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who is seeking the party’s National Chairmanship, has publicly acknowledged that he holds no academic certificate, urging delegates to assess him strictly on his record of competence and grassroots service instead.
Addressing a gathering of supporters, Wontumi made the admission in candid terms. “Oh my God, don’t ask me about my certificate,” he said. “Because I don’t have a certificate. If you want to know, judge me or ask me about my competency.”
He added: “As for my competency, it’s a competency that I’m bringing, that’s it. So judge me about my competency.”
The remarks represent Wontumi’s most direct public acknowledgment yet on the certificate question, which has dogged him throughout his political career and resurfaced with renewed intensity since he declared his national chairmanship bid in February. A former Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Dr Kwabena Bempah Tandoh, offered testimony in late February that Wontumi attended Prempeh College in Kumasi, with the two sharing a dormitory in Form One, though that disclosure addressed attendance rather than academic completion.
Wontumi has consistently framed the NPP’s current situation as requiring tested leaders rather than holders of academic titles, telling Western Region executives that the party needs a national chairman ready to fight in opposition.
Wontumi has served as Ashanti Regional Chairman for an unprecedented three consecutive terms and points to his record of financing nomination forms for thousands of NPP aspirants and contributing funds to stabilise the party’s 2015 National Congress in Tamale as evidence of his commitment and capacity.
The NPP is expected to hold its national executive elections later in 2026 as part of its preparations for the 2028 general elections, following the party’s decisive defeat at the December 2024 polls. Other declared contenders for the chairmanship include former General Secretary John Boadu and former Vice Chairman Sammy Crabbe.
Wontumi’s campaign also runs alongside an active criminal trial, in which he faces six charges related to mining operations in the Western Region.
