Wontumi retains his position as Ashanti Regional Chairman for the third time
I don’t think that the delegates, without inducements, would have voted for Wontumi, Ben Ephson
Pollster Ben Ephson has indicated that Ashanti Region Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), would have lost his position if he did not pay delegates monies to vote for him.
According to him, there have been a lot of issues in the Ashanti region under his tenure which could have led to his defeat if he didn't pay delegates. This he says, includes the reduction in percentage of votes in the Ashanti Region from 76 Percent 2016 to 71.6 per cent in 2020.
Ben Ephson had predicted that Chairman Wontumi will lose his position in the just-ended NPP regional elections but the latter retained his seat for the third time.
Speaking on the back of this, Ben Ephson suggested that Chairman Wontumi only won the elections because he paid delegates to vote.
“We think that the distribution of money carried the day. I don’t think that the delegates, without inducements, would have voted for a Chairman under whose watch the NPP’s percentage of votes in the Ashanti moved from 76 per cent in 2016 to 71.6 per cent in 2020. Two, somebody who thinks he has the hundred of thousands, he rented an office for the regional NPP, he defaulted in payment of rent and the party’s properties are thrown out. But for inducement, who would have retained such a national Chairman,” 3 news quoted Ben Ephson as having said.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic, Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Chairman Wontumi on Saturday, May 28, 2022 retained his seat for a third term after a tight competition.
His landslide victory over his main contender did not come easy as Kumasi became the center of attraction on Saturday.
At the close of polls, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako retained his seat with 464 votes while Odeneho Kwaku Appiah also known as Chairman Coka his close contender got 306 votes.
Other contenders in the race were Kofi Adum Bawuah (3 votes), Asare Bediako Robert (20 votes) and Kwabena Owusu Aduomi (9 votes).
Ben Ephson, pollster