…As Chairman Wontumi threatens to Shift NDC’s ballot position
Reports making the rounds within the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), suggest that it is seeking to buy out some of the one-man political parties, who have made it onto the 2024 presidential ballot paper.
The goal is to move its bitterest rival, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama’s number 8 position on the ballot.
The Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, alias “Chairman Wontumi”, gave a hint of his party’s plots with a bold threat, declaring his intention to shift the NDC from their current 8th position on the ballot paper to the 6th or 7th position. This, he claims, is to prove his influence and political might.
It is being said within the governing party that its “Breaking the 8” slogan which caught on well for the Mahamudu Bawumia campaign, is being jettisoned by the opposition NDC’s 8th position on the ballot paper after the Electoral Commission’s balloted for 13 presidential candidates from various political parties, as well as some independent hopefuls.
The NPP, will attempt to influence the likes of Akua Donkor, founder and flagbearer of Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) with the slogan ‘Ɛnyɛ ɛnono!’ in Twi and Percival Kofi Akpaloo, owner and leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), who got the third and fifth positions respectively.
Other candidates believed to be susceptible to a buyout, are the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Augustus Lartey, who picked the number 2 spot, Christian Kwabena Andrews of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), who picked 4, Alhaji Mohammed Frimpong of the National Democratic Party (NDP) who picked 6 and the All People’s Congress (APC) of Hassan Ayariga, who picked 9.
It remains, unclear if any of the political parties can pull out from the presidential race at this stage looking at the fact both the NDC and NPP, have since 20th September 2024, when the balloting was done been marketing their respective positions on T-shirts, billboards and on campaign platforms among others.
They don’t have offices across the country. They have no party officials and have yet to be seen mounting any serious election campaign effective enough to cause any upset in the forthcoming poll.
Indeed, political pundits, have said if the country’s electoral laws were working, they would not be on the ballot paper as presidential candidates.
“Breaking the 8”, was coined by the NPP as a battle cry by the ruling party to break the 8-year electoral cycle for every political since 1992. But the current feeling in the NPP is that anybody who talks about the number 8, will automatically be campaigning for the NDC’s flagbearer, hence, there must be a deliberate effort, however, desperate towards “shifting” the NDC from the 8 position.
Chairman Wontumi’s frustration was, particularly directed at Rev. Isaac-Owusu Bempah, who recently expressed support for the NDC and declared Mahama the winner of the upcoming December 7 elections.
The NPP top man’s comments were made on his media platform, Wontumi FM, looking visibly angered by Rev. Owusu-Bempah’s decision to align with the opposition NDC.
“I will move the NDC from 8th to 6th or 7th position just to show them my power,” Wontumi asserted with defiance, emphasizing his intention to display the level of control he holds over political matters. This follows the declaration by Rev. Owusu-Bempah, a well-known spiritual figure and former supporter of the NPP, who publicly proclaimed that the NDC’s flagbearer, would emerge victorious in the upcoming presidential election.
Owusu-Bempah, had previously been a close ally of the NPP, and his surprising endorsement of Mahama, has sparked controversy, particularly among staunch supporters of the ruling party.
Rev. Owusu-Bempah’s influence in political circles, has long been notable, with many perceiving his spiritual pronouncements as swaying the opinions of some voters.
In the past, he had openly supported NPP candidates, claiming divine revelations about their victory. However, his recent shift towards the NDC has raised eyebrows and caused a stir within political and religious communities alike.
Chairman Wontumi, known for his brash style and unwavering loyalty to the NPP, wasted no time in condemning the pastor’s newfound support for the opposition party revealing that recently he and Dr Bawumia, met with and Owusu-Bempah, who had the Vice-President kneel before him to be prayed for with Anointing Oil.
“How can a man like Owusu-Bempah turn around and betray the very party he has supported for so long?” Wontumi fumed during his show, questioning the preacher’s motives and the implications for the upcoming elections.
According to Wontumi, the prophecy is based on falsehood and lacks any truth, insisting that regardless of the situation, the NPP’s Dr Bawumia, will win the December 7, 2024 elections.
He called on Rev. Owusu-Bempah to desist from spreading what he termed as lies, adding, “When you make a mistake, you can be forgiven, but when you lie, you cannot be forgiven. So, stop the lies and stop such a pompous attitude.”
He further questioned, “So, the God that changed Mahama for Akufo-Addo to become president and implemented free education for all categories of citizens to benefit, whether rich or poor, Owusu-Bempah wants to tell me that the same God told him that Mahama, who brought dumsor and cancelled free maternal care, has a good heart? That is not true; that is a lie.”
During a fellowship with Mr Mahama on October 1, 2024, Rev. Owusu-Bempah, stated that God has endorsed the former president to be the next president of Ghana because of his good heart.
“When the prayer was going on, this is what the Lord has told me. Because of the good heart of this man, the Lord has entrusted the country in his hands again. Nothing can stop it,” he stated.
