The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi has hinted at the party’s contemplation of expanding the current delegates’ register universally.
Chairman Wontumi disclosed that he has discussed with the party’s General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua, about enlarging the current register to prevent issues that could potentially divide the party.
“To be sincere, I am going to fight. I have talked to the General Secretary and he agrees with me that every card bearing member of our party be allowed to vote in all our internal elections.”
“He has accepted and I know there are a lot of people in our party who also support this” Wontumi said in an interview on his radio station.
This isn’t the first time the expansion of the NPP delegates’ register has been discussed. During the party’s annual delegates congress in December 2021 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, various proposals emerged, including one from former MP for Manhyia North Constituency, Collins Owusu Amankwah, suggesting the inclusion of all former MPs in the electoral college.
A member of the Constitutional Review Committee of the party and former Deputy Attorney General, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, remarked in an interview with TV3’s William Evans-Nkum that they are reviewing these proposals and they can only be adopted by Congress.
Over the years, there have been complaints from party members regarding their exclusion from the delegates’ list, leading to growing disillusionment.
In the buildup to the Ejisu by-election, former MP Kwabena Owusu Aduomi contested as an independent candidate, citing dissatisfaction with the opaque delegate selection process.
Similar grievances have surfaced in the Ashanti Region, with instances like the departure of Andrews Asiamah, the current 2nd Deputy Speaker, who contested as an independent candidate in the 2020 parliamentary elections due to issues with the delegate selection process.
Bernard Antwi Boasiako emphasized that all card-bearing members of the NPP should be empowered to participate in future internal elections, questioning the rationale behind restricting their voting rights in determining parliamentary candidates and constituency or national executives.