Pollster Ben Ephson has accused the Ashanti Region Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) of vote buying in the just-ended regional elections of the party.
But for inducement, Mr Ephson who predicted defeat for Chairman Wontumi, said he would have lost the polls.
“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?” He said in interview with Eric Mawuena Egberta on the Hot Edition on 3FM Monday May 30.
Meanwhile, Chairman Wontumi has been told to change his attitude in order to ensure that the NPP breaks the 8-year cycle in the 2024 general elections.
This call was made by some disgruntled NPP serial callers in the Ashanti region. The serial callers campaigned against Chairman Wontumi.
Theor spokesperson, Abilele told journalists after the elections in Kumasi on Monday May 30 that “Now the election is over, I think we are all here as a family, we thank those who supported us and those who didn’t support us. What we are saying if the Chairman who has been re-elected is hearing me, what we need from him is a change.
“He should change his attitude because if he doesn’t change his attitude then I don’t believe the breaking the 8, we are going to break that 8.”
Chairman Wontumi indicated his his victory speech that the governing party will definitely break the 8-year cycle in the 2024 general elections.
He said the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) cannot stop the NPP’s plan of winning the 2024 polls.
In his victory speech on Saturday May 28 after the NPP’s Ashanti region election at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi he said “our campaign of breaking the 8 has stared from Baba Yara Stadium, NDC cannot stop us.
“[NDC] can lie, [NDC] can spread fake news but winning the 2024 elections is a movement.”
He polled 464 votes against his closest contender’s 306.
By Laud Nartey|editors.3news.com|Ghana
