In a surprising twist of events within the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Aaron Korankye Prosper, the Youth Coordinator for flagbearer aspirant Alan Kyeremanten, has boldly stated that the party's Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, will have to beg publicly to join Alan's campaign team after the presidential primaries.
Korankye's assertion follows Wontumi's declaration of support for Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia and his recruitment of some constituency Chairmen, actions that have seemingly driven a wedge between him and other presidential aspirants within the party.
According to Korankye, this stance makes it difficult for Wontumi to campaign for Alan Kyeremanten.
"Can Chairman Wontumi join Alan Kyerematen? No, because he has shown where he belongs. You can’t do that because you are guilty of your own conscience," Korankye expressed during an interview with Nana Ama Anor on Angel FM.
He further remarked that the party leadership's decision to openly support one candidate has exacerbated the situation.
Korankye's hope lies in reconciliation after the primaries.
He stated, "My prayer is after Alan has won, they will gather the courage to come and beg for forgiveness so that all of us will come together with love and work again."
The coordinator also directed criticism toward party executives and delegates who failed to vote out Chairman Wontumi in the past year when they had the chance.
According to Korankye, the Ashanti Region's current predicament within the party can be attributed to Chairman Wontumi's leadership.
"The opportunity to vote against Chairman Wontumi was there, but we still voted for him, and that is the problem of the party today in the Ashanti Region. What is happening here in the region is not what is happening in other regions," he noted.
Furthermore, Korankye accused Chairman Wontumi of sidelining grassroots party members and keeping decision-making power to himself.
He urged party members not to succumb to monetary inducements from certain presidential aspirants, emphasizing the importance of voting for candidates based on merit rather than financial incentives.
These internal divisions and revelations have thrown the NPP into a state of turmoil, heightening the tensions as the presidential primaries draw nearer.