Wontumi withdraws from NPP national chairmanship race, urges support for Bawumia

National Executives Elections Committee Chairman Frederick Opare Ansah has not yet 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. Reports on social media indicate that Mr Boasiako, who is currently in custody, has decided to step away from the contest before the filing deadline on Thursday.

Speaking to Adom News, Mr Ansah affirmed that the Elections Committee had not received any formal notification from the candidate or his campaign team. He clarified that he had only encountered reports of the alleged withdrawal on social media platforms and as of now, none of the candidates had formally written to the Committee to declare their intention to withdraw.

Mr Ansah emphasized that candidates are required to formally notify the Elections Committee of their withdrawal, rather than making such announcements through social media. He deemed the failure to officially communicate such decisions to the Committee as improper and expressed his hope that the correct procedure would be adhered to.

Defending his actions, Mr Ansah stated that the Elections Committee is solely responsible for conducting the electoral process, while the Vetting Committee is tasked with determining the eligibility of candidates and disqualifying any aspirant who does not meet the necessary requirements. He explained that issuing nomination forms to Mr Boasiako, despite his current incarceration, was a matter of the Elections Committee fulfilling its duty to administer the electoral process, and not an endorsement or guarantee of his eligibility to contest the election.