I am yet to receive official confirmation of Wontumi’s Chairmanship withdrawal – Opare Ansah

New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman Frederick Opare Ansah has stated that he has not received any official confirmation regarding the reported withdrawal of former Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, from the party's National Chairmanship race. Social media reports claim that Mr Boasiako, currently in prison, has decided to withdraw ahead of the filing deadline on Thursday.

Speaking to Adom News, Mr Opare Ansah mentioned that the Elections Committee had not received any formal notification from the candidate or his campaign. He clarified that the only instances he had heard of the alleged withdrawal were through social media posts and that no candidates had yet officially written to the Committee to declare a withdrawal.

According to Mr Opare Ansah, candidates are required to formally inform the Elections Committee about their decision to withdraw, rather than relying on social media updates. He viewed the lack of official communication as improper and expressed his desire for the proper process to be followed. The party's Chairman also defended the decision to send nomination forms to Mr Boasiako despite his current incarceration.

He explained that the Elections Committee is responsible for managing the electoral process, while the Vetting Committee is tasked with assessing the eligibility of candidates, and disqualifying any aspirant who fails to meet the requirements. Thus, he argued that issuing forms to Mr Boasiako did not imply a commitment to his candidacy or ensure his clearance to contest the election.