Analyst Rejects Comparisons Between Wontumi and Nkrumah, Mugabe

Political analyst Dr Jonathan Asante Otchere has dismissed attempts to compare Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) to historical political figures such as Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, and former Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe.

The comparisons surfaced after supporters of Wontumi picked up nomination forms for him to contest the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) national chairmanship despite his incarceration. His supporters have cited historical precedents where political leaders contested or assumed office while in prison — including Nkrumah’s 1952 legislative victory and Mugabe’s rise to lead ZANU during his imprisonment.

But Dr Asante Otchere said those parallels were fundamentally flawed.

“These comparisons are misplaced. They are really, really misplaced,” he said on News Digest on Saturday, August 22, 2026.

He argued that Nkrumah and Mugabe were engaged in political liberation struggles that cannot reasonably be equated with Wontumi’s current circumstances.

“Mr Wontumi is not a freedom fighter. And so, comparing him with Dr Nkrumah, with Robert Mugabe, is much ado about nothing,” he said.

Dr Asante Otchere insisted that Wontumi’s situation must be viewed strictly within the context of the law and the consequences of his conviction.

“You are looking at someone who has breached the law. That’s all,” he stated.

He criticised efforts to use historical examples to justify Wontumi’s political comeback, warning that such comparisons risk obscuring the legal issues surrounding his candidacy.

— CitiNewsRoom