Lawyer Maurice Ampaw has claimed that incarcerated former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party(NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, alias Chairman Wontumi, would have secured about 80% of the votes in the recently held national chairmanship election if he had been out of prison to contest.
According to the outspoken private legal practitioner, Wontumi’s political influence and strong grassroots support could have produced a landslide victory.
“Chairman Wontumi would have gotten 80% in the election if he were around,” Ampaw said.
He argued that Wontumi’s appeal among party members rested on his political persona and experience rather than elitism, and said support eventually shifted to Kojo Fosu Boadu, popularly known as Kojo Bamba.
Ampaw said Wontumi’s political base and structure shifted towards Bamba during the NPP national executive elections, contributing to his unexpected victory as First National Vice Chairman.
“Wontumi’s political base and structure shifted directly to Bamba,” he said.
He maintained that Wontumi had the experience, qualifications and political support needed to perform strongly in the contest had he been available to participate.
