Embattled Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has officially announced his intention to contest the position of National Chairman of the party.

He made his declaration in a statement dated February 4 and signed by the chairman. According to him, his bid to contest comes after consultations with party elders and his “maker” as he seeks to serve the interest of the party, ensure unity and harmony.

“I, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), having consulted my Maker and sought the counsel of party elders, hereby declare my intention to serve as National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, not for personal ambition, but to strengthen, rebuild, and unify our great party,” parts of the statement read.

Describing the current state of the party as at a critical juncture, Chairman Wontumi highlighted the need for a leader who understands and relates well with the grassroots, which underlines his candidacy.

He stated, “Our party has faced challenges and learned hard lessons along the way. At this critical moment, the NPP demands leadership that is steady, principled, and committed to unity.A leader who is grassroots personified, who values every member from our elders to the youth allies, and who is willing to make the ultimate sacrifices for the party.”

He emphasised the need for courageous and decisive leadership, noting that the road ahead would require vision, sacrifice and unwavering determination.

“The road ahead will demand vision, courage, and unwavering determination. Leadership at this moment requires bravery, the courage to stand firm, make difficult decisions, and the willingness to lose all if necessary for the NPP,” the statement said.

He described himself as a grassroots-oriented leader who values every member of the party, from elders to the youngest supporters, and pledged to work towards unity and organisational strength.

Chairman Wontumi expressed confidence in the party’s readiness for the future, declaring, “We are ready. We are organised. We are built for the battle ahead,” while charging them to come together and “restore confidence, empower our grassroots, and position the NPP to win decisively in 2028.

He concluded by calling on party members to rally together, saying the NPP would “rise again, together,” and ended the statement with prayers for the party, Ghana’s democracy and the nation.

Chairman Wontumi currently serves as the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party and is expected to formally file his nomination when the party opens the contest for the National Chairmanship position.

Meanwhile, the NPP elected its flagbearer on Saturday, January 31.

The former Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, was declared the winner of the NPP presidential election, securing 57% of the votes.

Out of the total valid votes cast, Dr. Bawumia secured 110,643 votes (56.48%), followed by Kennedy Agyapong with 46,554 votes (23.76%), Bryan Acheampong earned 36,303 (18.53%), Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum and Ing. Kwabena Agyepong trailed with 1,999 votes (1.02%) and 402 votes (0.21%) respectively.

More than 211,000 delegates took part in the polls which were conducted at 333 voting centres spanning all 275 constituencies nationwide.

Throughout the process, heightened security arrangements were put in place, while party officials closely monitored proceedings to guarantee orderliness.

Across several constituencies, the sorting and compilation of votes are currently in progress, and preliminary results have started filtering in from parts of the country. Party leaders have assured stakeholders of openness and fairness as the process moves forward.

Prior to the election, the Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, Mussa Dankwah predicted the Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to win 14 out of the 16 regions.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, January 28, he noted that Dr. Bawumia would sweep massive votes in the party’s stronghold, the Ashanti Region.

He added, “Yes, [Bawumia will win in 14 regions out of 16 regions].“All the areas we have looked at are pointing in one direction, and that direction is that Bawumia will win this Saturday’s election one-touch.

According to him, “Based on our model, his lowest score will be 54 percent, which is the 57 percent we are giving him minus the three percent margin of error, or he could get up to 60 percent”.The Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics emphasised that the data is consistent across all regions. “I am very confident in Bawumia’s numbers because they are more stable in terms of variability. There is no noise in the data,” he added.

Last year, the National Tracking Poll by Global InfoAnalytics disclosed that 56 per cent of voters and 72 per cent of committed NPP delegates want former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as their flagbearer for the 2028 general elections.