The Law is King—Why the NPP Elections Committee Cannot Play Politics with Wontumi’s Incarceration

No Sovereign State Bows to a Political Media Circus

The theatrical narrative surrounding Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, has devolved into an unacceptable test of Ghana's democratic resilience. Following an emotional "withdrawal statement" circulating via his campaign’s social media channels, the National Elections Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), led by Frederick Opare-Ansah, bluntly reminded the public that on paper, Wontumi remains an active aspirant for National Chairman because no official notification has entered the party’s structures.

Let us be completely unambiguous: Chairman Wontumi is not a political prisoner, and any attempt by party loyalists to frame his condition as political persecution is a direct assault on the state’s judicial sovereignty. He is a convicted citizen serving a prison sentence handed down by a court of competent jurisdiction.

The systemic disconnect between the NPP’s internal administration and the legal mechanisms of the state is not just confusing—it borders on administrative immaturity. For a political party that prides itself on the rule of law, allowing a high-profile criminal case to be treated like a casual social media debate undermines the seriousness of national governance. This article strips away the partisan noise, exposes the legal reality of the Samreboi galamsey conviction, and details the exact NPP constitutional clauses that govern this crisis.

The Samreboi Galamsey Precedent: When Political Immunity Fails

The root of Wontumi’s legal crisis is not political sabotage; it is a landmark criminal conviction under the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995). The state successfully prosecuted a critical environmental crime, proving that political status cannot shield individuals from devastating the nation’s natural resources.

• The High Court Conviction: On July 20, 2026, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay of the Accra High Court sentenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years in prison with hard labour after convicting him on all six criminal counts.
• The Samreboi Concession Breaches: The state proved that Wontumi, as the owner and controlling director of Akonta Mining Company Limited, illegally assigned mineral rights within his concession near Samreboi in the Western Region.
• Facilitating Unlicensed Mining: Wontumi bypassed state regulations by granting individual operators permission to mine his concession without obtaining the mandatory prior written approval of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, directly violating Section 14(1) and Section 99(2)(b) of Act 703 (as amended by Act 995).
• The Supreme Court Rejection: In a desperate bid to stall justice, Wontumi’s legal team attempted to halt the judgment by seeking a referral to the Supreme Court, arguing the mining laws were too broad. The High Court firmly dismissed this application, ruling that the anti-galamsey provisions are clear, consistent with the 1992 Constitution, and applicable to every citizen regardless of status.

Constitutional Clashes: Interpreting the NPP Rulebook

The confusion surrounding why an incarcerated citizen could pick up executive nomination forms highlights a deep misunderstanding of how the NPP Constitution operates. The party’s internal legal framework handles eligibility through phased administrative hurdles:

• The Right to Procurement (Article 3): Per the fundamental rights of a party member under the NPP Constitution, the National Secretariat cannot preemptively block a registered member in good standing from acquiring nomination forms. Forms are open public documents, meaning anyone—including an incarcerated individual—can have a proxy download or buy them.
• The Disqualification Mandate (Article 10): The core protection of the party's integrity lies within the mandate of the National Vetting Committee. Under standard qualifications for national officers, an aspirant must meet criteria equivalent to national public office standards. A conviction involving a felony, financial malfeasance, or high-level environmental degradation automatically triggers a disqualification recommendation by the committee under Article 10, Sub-clause 6.
• The Legal Nullity of Social Media Withdrawals (Article 18 Guidelines): Under the operational rules set by the NPP National Council, a candidate’s withdrawal from an internal election must follow strict administrative lines. A public statement or a viral letter on Facebook is legally non-existent to the party. For a withdrawal to take effect, a formal, physically signed, and witnessed letter must be hand-delivered to the Elections Committee Secretariat. Until that file is logged, the party must treat Wontumi as an active candidate.

Core Recommendations for Political Maturity

To ensure that the management of political candidacies matches the standards of a modern democratic nation, Ghana's major political parties must implement the following changes:

• Incorporate Statutory Disqualifications into App Downloads: If a party leverages online portals for nomination forms, the system must require a mandatory legal affidavit check. Candidates must legally declare under penalty of perjury that they do not hold active felony convictions before forms can be processed.
• Enforce Sanctions for Undermining Party Organs: Campaign teams that leak internal strategic decisions—like withdrawal letters—to social media before submitting formal notices to the Elections Committee must face immediate disciplinary action for bringing the party’s name into disrepute.
• Establish Pre-Vetting Filters: The NPP National Council should amend its guidelines to introduce a preliminary screening desk. This desk should verify basic legal standing prior to the main vetting phase, preventing individuals facing unbailable criminal convictions from turning elections into a media stunt.
• Support Judicial Decoupling: Political parties must issue explicit public directives forbidding their communication officers from characterizing legitimate criminal trials—such as state-led environmental prosecutions—as internal party issues or partisan attacks.

Administrative Order vs. Partisan Sentiment

Ghana's democracy has evolved past the era where political influence could easily alter a court judgment or override administrative due process. The NPP National Elections Committee is legally and institutionally correct to ignore the noise on social media and treat Chairman Wontumi as an active aspirant until formal, written rules are respected.

A political party cannot champion the rule of law on a national stage while allowing its internal processes to be governed by internet rumors and emotional press releases. True democratic progress demands that our political entities behave like formal state institutions—driven by written laws, structural compliance, and an absolute respect for judicial independence. If the NPP wants to maintain its constitutional integrity, it must let the courts manage criminal accountability while enforcing its own administrative laws without fear or favor.

✍️ Submitted by:
Retired Senior Citizen
For and on behalf of all Senior Citizens of the Republic of Ghana 🇬🇭

Teshie-Nungua
[email protected]