Kennedy Agyapong Boys addressing the media
The camp of Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, flagbearer aspirant of the governing New Patriotic Party, has challenged the Ashanti Regional chairman of the party, Bernard Antwi Bosiako popularly called Chairman Wontumi, to arrest their leader and face their wrath.
This follows a statement made by Chairman Wontumi warning of a possible arrest of the NPP Presidential Hopeful, Kennedy Agyapong if he makes threats against his life again.
Chairman Wontum on Wednesday in response to some statements made by Kennedy Agyapong accusing him and the Vice President of undermining the NPP’s stability during his “Showdown Walk” in Kumasi over the weekend, said “Put a stop to all insults and attacks on my personality else I will call for your arrest. It’s an advice. You did the same to Ahmed Suale, so don’t let it repeat. If you can do something for the party, tell us. It’s just exactly a month to the election. I don’t want you to lose, but put a stop to your utterances and focus on your campaign to win”.
However, in defense of the Assin Central MP, the Ashanti Regional Communication Director of Kennedy Agyapong Campaign Team, William Kusi, said it was extremely regrettable for a regional chairman to lie against their candidate.
According to him, they would battle any attempt by certain party members to destroy their leader’s reputation.
He also accused Wontumi of exploiting Bawumia’s office to solve party matters rather than the regional office, adding that Chairman Wontumi had wasted all the money intended for the party’s building without accounting for it.
He claimed Wontumi’s initial statement on the voter registration exercise was a diabolic purpose created by the latter to discredit their noble presidential candidate.
“Under no circumstance would we allow someone like Wontumi to drag our candidate’s name into the mud. If he is a man, we dare him to arrest Kennedy and see,” Lawyer William Kusi stated.
He explained that Chairman Wontumi had disgraced the NPP party for failing to construct all the roads awarded to him.
However, he urged the Regional chairman to cease the insults and jokes and fix the roads from Nkawie to Bontefufuo in the Amansie West and Wioso to Mpasaaso in the Ahafo Ano South-West in the Ashanti Region.
Kennedy Agyapong last weekend when addressing his followers after the walk in Kumasi said “Chairman Wontumi has taken the party for ransom by deploying rogue tactics to do the bidding of some elements in the NPP”.
Citing a case to buttress his claim, Kennedy Agyapong did not take kindly to the utterances of Chairman Wontumi against the person of the former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, who has resigned from the party.
He therefore warned the chairman that going forward, he is going to meet his tactics in equal measure.
“I dare Wontumi to make a mistake and he will see men in this country, he will see men in Ghana. You operate a radio and TV station to insult elderly people”.
“I dare Wontumi to come here and deny, he was a full-blooded Alan supporter and I convinced him to switch to the side of President Akufo-Addo. You can support Akufo-Addo or Vice President Bawumia but don’t insult,” Agyapong told the mammoth crowd.
On the attacks on the person of Alan, Agyapong stated: “Alan is being insulted on Wontumi’s station. Wontumi is just a small boy, he is a small boy. It is sad that Wontumi and five chairmen – from four northern regions and the Volta Region – have turned the National Council into a hooliganism group.”
Wontumi Replies
However, Chairman Wontumi reacting to Kennedy Agaypong’s threats during his presser held in Kumasi, expressed serious concerns about the threats and also urged the flagbearer aspirant to focus on his campaign for the upcoming NPP primaries on November 4, instead of attacking him.
“I love NPP, I will never say anything against the party or Kennedy Agyapong. I will always ensure the progress of the party. I will let the police arrest you if you threaten me again with your showdown comments. I’m advising you against such comments, your threats on Ahmed Suale’s life caused his death. I’m not interested in you losing the elections, but please tell delegates what you can do for the party and desist from spewing derogatory comments against party members, and polling station agents. Just try to apologize to them. You have insulted chiefs, judges, and everyone in the country, everybody knows what you can do, change your attitude,” he advised.
Chairman Wontumi also defended his decision to order the removal of Alan Kyerematen’s campaign posters from party offices after Kyerematen resigned from the NPP and his declaration to run as an independent candidate.
He further clarified that this directive was a matter of party discipline and not intended as an insult towards Kyerematen.
-BY Daniel Bampoe