Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Communications Officer, Paul Yandoh, has identified the absence of Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as a key factor behind his failure to win the party’s recent Ashanti Regional Secretary election.
Mr Yandoh, who finished third in the contest with 105 votes, said Wontumi’s incarceration deprived his campaign of the financial backing he had anticipated.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, he explained that attempts by some of Wontumi’s associates to raise funds for his campaign yielded very little.
“The Ashanti Regional Minister, Frank Amoakohene, did not cause my defeat, but the incarceration of Wontumi was a major setback for me. The contributions he called for on my behalf were a complete joke; some of his people sent GH₵1, GH₵2, 50 pesewas, and even 38 pesewas,” he said.
Mr Yandoh rejected claims that his association with Ashanti Regional Minister Dr Frank Amoakohene, a member of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), hurt his chances in the NPP internal election.
According to him, he was qualified to contest the position and had already begun his campaign before receiving the Regional Minister’s public endorsement.
“No, I don’t believe the Ashanti Regional Minister caused my defeat because he is from a different political party and endorsed me. The party has guidelines and I qualify for all, so what else will make you think I am not serious with the position?” he asked.
He said his campaign was based on his own vision for the party and that he had spent considerable time engaging delegates before the election.
“I declared my intention for the secretary position for a long time, so it’s not Amoakohene’s endorsement that caused my defeat. I explained my ideas and aspirations during my campaign,” he stated.
Mr Yandoh also addressed his frequent social media exchanges with Dr Amoakohene, explaining that the interactions were part of a deliberate strategy to attract the attention of young people online.
“When he became Regional Minister, he was involving the youth in almost everything he did and it was like he was taking them all. So I didn’t want him to take it all. For me and him’s banter, it was a strategic way of sharing the attention with him among the youth on social media,” he said.
Although he acknowledged contributions allegedly made towards his campaign, Mr Yandoh said the financial support was minimal.
“And any contribution that he is said to have gone on my behalf, I’m grateful. However, it wasn’t a significant amount. It was GH₵1 and GH₵2. I think Amoakohene deliberately told them to send that amount,” he added.
He maintained that Dr Amoakohene’s endorsement did not determine the outcome of the election, insisting that Wontumi’s absence had a far greater impact on his campaign.
“There was no way he caused my defeat. Wontumi’s imprisonment was my downfall,” Mr Yandoh stressed.
In the election, Francis Adomako emerged victorious with 492 votes, followed by Michael Amoah Awuku with 331 votes. Mr Yandoh placed third with 105 votes.
His campaign attracted considerable attention ahead of the election after Dr Amoakohene publicly endorsed him and promoted his candidacy on social media, despite the Regional Minister belonging to the NDC.
Mr Yandoh, however, has dismissed the controversy surrounding the endorsement and instead pointed to the loss of Wontumi’s expected support as the decisive setback in his bid for the regional secretary position.
