Awkward Moment As Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum Ignores COKA Handshake at Chairman Wontumi’s Sister’s One-Week

An awkward moment unfolded at the one-week observation of Regina Wiafe Antwi, sister of former Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi BoasiakoDr Yaw Osei Adutwum, former Education Minister and Bosomtwe MP, snubbed the handshake of newly elected NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman COKA on arrivalThe incident between the two NPP politicians was caught on camera by popular Ghanaian blogger Gists Online and has since gone viral on social mediaGhana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!

A tense moment at a solemn gathering in the Ashanti Region has set social media ablaze after Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, former Education Minister and MP for Bosomtwe, appeared to deliberately bypass the outstretched hand of Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, popularly known as COKA, the newly elected NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman.

Awkward moment as Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum ignores Ashanti Regional Chairman COKA’s handshake at Chairman Wontumi’s sister’s one-week. Photo source: Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Odeneho Kwaku Appiah Source: FacebookThe incident took place on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at the one-week observation of Regina Wiafe Antwi, former NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Wontumi's sister, widely known as Chairman Wontumi.

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The sister of the NPP politician, who is currently serving a 20-year jail sentence at the Nsawam Prison, recently died after a reported short illness.

The solemn gathering, held under a red and orange canopy tent with mourners dressed in black and dark traditional cloth, also drew former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and other prominent NPP figures.

Footage captured by popular Ghanaian blogger Gists Online showed the moment Adutwum arrived alongside Bawumia and others at the ceremony.

As the group made their way through the formal greeting line, Adutwum visibly skipped past Chairman COKA without acknowledging his hand, in full view of those gathered.

The clip then cut to a separate outdoor crowd scene, where supporters in NPP's blue and white colours were assembled and praising the main opposition's members.

The video spread quickly online, with many viewers picking apart the brief but pointed moment.

The Instagram video of the handshake snub caught on camera at the one-week observation is below:

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The clip drew sharp responses from social media users, many of whom were unimpressed with the former minister's conduct.

YEN.com.gh has compiled some reactions from Ghanaians below:

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported about Manasseh Azure Awuni’s response to former Yaw Adutwum’s criticism of courses such as Development Studies, arguing that Ghana’s graduate unemployment crisis stems more from leadership and governance than from university programmes.

Awuni also questioned why Ghana should train more engineers when many skilled graduates lack opportunities to thrive at home.

His defence of courses including Fine Arts and Philosophy challenged the idea that education should lead only to traditional jobs—and raises a bigger question about whether graduates can be equipped to create work themselves.

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Kofi Owusu (Entertainment Editor) Kofi Owusu is the Head of the Entertainment Desk at YEN.com.gh. He graduated from the African University College of Communication (AUCC) in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies. He has over 5 years of experience as an entertainment journalist. He joined YEN.com.gh in 2024. He previously worked as a freelance writer for local and foreign outlets. He won the award for Best Entertainment Editor of the Year at YEN.com.gh in 2025. He has participated in several trainings, including Facebook and Google compliance workshops. You can contact him via email: [email protected]