Less than 24 hours after the independent presidential hopeful for election 2024, Alan Kyerematen, gave a narrative to the effect that it was through him that the Ashanti Region Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, came into the New Patriotic Party, the latter has replied to the claims.
In his first-ever public interview since he severed ties with the political party he founded in 1992, Alan Kyerematen served a strong caution to Chairman Wontumi, telling him to be reminded of the past help he had given him.
Alan further explained how he and Chairman Wontumi first met and the other events that led to him personally introducing the Ashanti Regional Chairman to the hierarchy of the party, making a case for him to be welcomed.
“Who brought Wontumi to the party? Today, Wontumi is going round making all kinds of noise. If he has someone to thank, it should be Alan Kyerematen. I’m the one who held his hands to the party. Who is Wontumi?
“There are some things we should not be saying but we have been quiet for too long. I brought Wontumi to the NPP and I brought him to the party for a good reason. He was a small-time businessman. Today, when we are talking about party issues, Wontumi is the one dictating,” he said in Twi.
But in a statement dated Tuesday, September 27, 2023, Chairman Wontumi challenged the claim, calling it a palpable falsehood.
The statement, issued by his Special Assistant, Andy Owusu, said the statements made by Alan Kyerematen were not factual as he was already a member of the NPP before they first met.
“Although Chairman Wontumi was once a staunch supporter of Mr. Kyerematen, it is never true that he brought him (Chairman Wontumi) to mainstream politics or political limelight. As a matter of fact, Chairman Wontumi became the NPP Constituency Chairman of Bosomtwe as a staunch loyalist of Nana Akufo-Addo. It was during his time as the Bosomtwe Constituency Chairman that he met Mr. Kyerematen.
“And it was actually the current District Chief Executive for Atwima Nwabiagya North, Hon. Rebecca Yeboah, popularly known as ‘Sister Bantama’, who was at the time a member of the NPP Volunteer Media Communication, who took Chairman Wontumi to the residence of the then NPP Constituency Chairman for Asokwa, Mr. Robert Asare Bediako, where he met Mr. Kyerematen. During their meeting, someone recorded and leaked the engagement to the then opposition leader, HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,” the statement said, a 3news.com report stated.
The statement made further counter assertions, adding that even Alan Kyerematen and other big names like the sitting president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, did not support his election bid.
“Indeed, 100% credit goes to the late Dr. Amoako Tuffour so far as the successful regional chairmanship bid of Chairman Wontumi is concerned. Chairman Asare Bediako, Agya Sei and my good self, Andy Owusu who was the Campaign Manager at the time, also played various instrumental roles in the campaign.
“I will conclude by stating that, Mr. Kyerematen’s claims of introducing Chairman Wontumi to political limelight, and making him Constituency Chairman and subsequently, Ashanti Regional Chairman are palpable falsehoods and must be treated with the contempt they deserve,” the statement added.
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