Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Communications Officer, Paul Yandoh, has disclosed that his unsuccessful bid for the party’s Regional Secretary position has left him facing significant financial difficulties.
Mr Yandoh, who finished third in the contest, said he committed virtually all his personal resources to the campaign and is yet to recover from the financial impact of the election.
“I still haven’t recovered from the election loss because I used all my finances to contest the election. I have lost everything and I am down to ground zero,” he said.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Mr Yandoh explained that the election was only days old and that he was still processing the outcome.
“It’s not even a week yet, so I am not over the loss. It’s not been easy,” he stated.
The former regional communications officer revealed that the recent election was his second attempt to secure a position within the NPP’s Ashanti Regional executive structure.
He previously contested the Deputy Regional Secretary position in 2022 but was unsuccessful. According to him, the latest contest was significantly more competitive and required greater financial and organisational commitment.
“I contested for Deputy Secretary for the region in 2022 and I lost. However, this one was more competitive. I put all my resources into this,” he said.
Despite the setback, Mr Yandoh said his experience as the party’s Regional Communications Officer gave him an advantage in reaching delegates and presenting his campaign message.
“Due to my position as a Communications Director, I had to communicate to the people to understand and believe what I was telling them. So people accepted me,” he explained.
He also pointed to the legal troubles of prominent NPP figure Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as one of the challenges that affected his campaign.
According to Mr Yandoh, he had anticipated financial assistance from Wontumi, but the latter’s conviction disrupted the arrangements he had made for the campaign.
“But the whole issue is Wontumi’s conviction. It has affected me badly. Everything was planned on him to finance me. It made the election tough for me,” he said.
Although the defeat has taken a financial toll on him, Mr Yandoh said he remains committed to the NPP and intends to use the experience as a learning opportunity.
“I have learnt a lot from this experience. Going forward, I’m committed to Bawumia and will work hard to see him become the future President of Ghana,” he said.
He insisted that the election loss would not force him out of active party politics, stressing the need for the NPP to reflect on the outcome and adopt a more strategic approach to rebuilding its structures.
“The defeat doesn’t discourage me. It’s a lesson. We have to be more deliberate on the party,” he added.
Mr Yandoh polled 105 votes in the Ashanti Regional Secretary election, finishing behind Michael Amoah Awuku, who secured 331 votes, and winner Francis Adomako, who obtained 492 votes.
