Osei-Prempeh, Wontumi Face-off

Former Deputy Attorney-General Kwame Osei-Prempeh will come face-to-face with Bosomtwe Constituency Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Wontumi in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti regional chairmanship race in January 2014. The two are contesting for the post in the NPP�s stronghold following the decision of incumbent Fredrick Fredua Antoh to bow out. With the dwindling fortunes of NPP in Ashanti region and improving performance of its main opponents, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region, the party is looking for a consummate politician, who will help the party garner maximum votes in the next general elections. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, NPP delegates would choose between Kwame Osei-Prempeh and Wontumi on January 25, 2014. Osei-Prempeh, who is also the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsuta-Kwamang-Beposo and ex-chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament, DAILGY GUIDE learnt, enjoys massive support from the majority of the NPP MPs in the region. The former deputy Attorney-General is seen as a gentleman with unblemished record in the previous Kufuor administration and 12 years as a lawmaker. One of the MPs, who pleaded anonymity, told DAILY GUIDE that NPP needed an experienced politician like Osei-Prempeh to unite the party whose electoral fortunes have dwindled because internal wrangling. According to him, the 56-year-old former Deputy Attorney-General brings to the table practical political experience spanning several years. �Hon. Osei-Prempeh is someone who has seen it all in politics. He is a politician who is abreast of all the political intricacies and has organizational skills needed to mobilize support for the party,� the MP pointed out. Osei-Prempeh, he added, had earned the respect of high-ranking members of NPP. DAILY GUIDE gathered that Osei-Prempeh�s opponent, Mr. Wontumi, who is said to be financial endowed, was using his cash as the trump card. Some party faithful, the paper learnt, are backing Wontumi, who is the Chief Executive Officer of HANSOL Mining Company Limited, a small-scale mining firm, as he is said to have supported the party�s activities. As the party looks forward to the election, it is not clear whether the delegates will stick to NPP�s proven record and well-tested conservative approach to selecting its leaders.