PYA has for the past week been complaining and raising red flags about the unholy conduct of Wontumi in the Ashanti region. The phenomenon of wontumism is a wicked phenomenon and we as PYA, decries same vehemently.
If you recall, PYA had previously mentioned that Wontumi had summoned meetings to tell interested candidates that he has the authority of the president to ask all those who were not his darling boys, to step down so his preferred candidates go uncontested. Wontumi vehemently denied the and said no such meetings had occurred and that he is the owner of NPP in Ashanti region and so his decisions cannot be questioned.
PYA states poignantly that Wontumi is not the owner of NPP in Ashanti region. NPP is not Wontumi company limited and so he cannot claim ownership of it. We have to remind him that he is only an elevated member of the party by virtue of position conferred on him by the ordinary people of the party. The party is a public institution per the 1992 constitution and operates under the rule of law. If anyone’s action runs across purpose with the party’s ideals, that person, including Wontumi, would surely be in breach of the party’s constitution. And this shouldn’t go unnoticed by all well-meaning party people.
Since the party announced the opening of nominations in the orphan constituencies, PYA states authoritatively that no single constituency in Ashanti region was given the forms. This is in variance with the guidelines issued under the seal of the General Secretary, John Boadu. The reason for the non release of the forms is because Wontumi had hoarded the forms and refused to release them with the ominous intention to prevent candidates who are not his darling boys from picking the forms.
We are taken aback by the fact that Wontumi, who is a beneficiary of a democratic process for which reason he is a regional chairman today, will turn around to try to repress, suppress, and brutally mangle democratic processes due to his selfish interest. This phenomenon of wontumism is evil, repugnant, and must be forcefully condemned.
We fully aware that Abdul Manaf, a presidential staffer at the Office of the Vice President, had to present a petition to the national secretariat in order to pick a nomination form. This is because he is not the darling boy of Wontumi in his constituency, Asawase. Abdul Manaf is a living testimony of the very things we raised red flags about and he’s clearly a victim of wontumism. We commend Abdul Manaf for not bowing to the pressure and misguided intermeddling of Wontumi and standing for what he believes in. We urge all the other candidates to tow the line of Manaf so that together we can defeat this worrying trend.
PYA though we feel vindicated, is still firm with our position that – a fair and transparent process must be allowed to go on. It is only when this is done that we can galvanise the grassroots after the primaries for victory 2020. It is our belief that, with the phenomenal performance of the government, it is easier for us to claim more seats in 2020 if only we would eschew acts such as wontumism which has the potential to disunite the party after the primaries and cause it to loose seats.
Thomas Boakye
Spokesperson
0507765398
