Photo:Kamal Deen Abdulai
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has come under fresh internal criticism over its fractured response to the arrest and week-long detention of its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi.
Former Deputy Communications Director of the party, Kamal-Deen Abdulai, has described the party’s conduct during the crisis as “unacceptable and poor,” accusing key leaders of abandoning basic principles of solidarity and organisation during one of the party’s most high-profile post-election embarrassments.
Speaking on UTV’s Adekye Nsroma panel discussion, Mr Abdulai lamented the absence of a unified response, saying that “in the spirit of communality, the party should have adopted a common goal and approach, but instead, everyone was pursuing their interests.”
A Party in Disarray
Wontumi was arrested by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and detained at the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) for seven days over undisclosed criminal charges. His prolonged incarceration ignited outrage from grassroots supporters, and a subdued protest was led by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin. However, despite the outcry, the party’s upper echelon struggled to mobilise a coordinated response.
“The optics were disturbing,” Abdulai said. “Here was a senior regional figure, a symbol of our dominance in the Ashanti Region, left to languish in a cell while the party seemed paralysed by indecision and internal calculations.”
He faulted the NPP’s national leadership for what he called a “failure to act swiftly and cohesively,” arguing that the absence of a pre-established crisis protocol exposed the party to avoidable reputational damage.
Abdulai’s critique pointed squarely at what he sees as growing internal disunity within the party, which is now grappling with the consequences of its 2024 electoral defeat.
“There should have been proper coordination by the party,” he stressed. “Not just the scrambling for sureties, but political coordination, legal support, and messaging. Instead, it was a free-for-all.”
Chairman Wontumi was eventually released after former Minister Bryan Acheampong posted property reportedly worth GH₵62 million to meet his bail conditions, far exceeding the GH₵50 million requirement. While Acheampong’s gesture drew praise, it also spotlighted the inadequacy of the party’s collective action and raised questions about loyalty and influence in the new opposition era.
Mr Abdulai’s public comments now amplify the perception of a power struggle within the NPP. While some senior party officials have praised Acheampong’s intervention, others have remained silent, further deepening speculation that factional calculations may have determined who stood up for Wontumi and who stood back.
“The party must learn from this and rebuild its internal machinery,” Abdulai concluded. “We are in opposition. If this is how we treat our own, what message are we sending to the base? We need to stop playing silos and act like a party that wants to win again.”
EOCO has yet to release the full list of charges against Chairman Wontumi, and it remains unclear whether a formal prosecution will follow. However, the political fallout for the NPP is already unfolding.
With tensions brewing beneath the surface and public confidence wavering, Kamal-Deen Abdulai’s intervention may not be the last internal criticism the party will face. As it attempts to reassert itself in opposition, the NPP appears increasingly defined not just by its policies, but by its ability—or inability to stand together in crisis.
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