The Ashanti Regional Secretariat of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has asked Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), Ashanti Regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) not to divert public attention from the failure and misrule of his government.

Mr Matthew Kojo Njourkone, Deputy Ashanti Regional Secretary of NDC, who made the call, said the recent rants and attacks on former President Mahama’s decision to contest the NDC presidential primaries by chairman Wontumi, was nothing but aimless attempt to divert Ghanaians attention from the current hardships they were going through under NPP government.

“The recent move by Chairman Wontumi against former President John Dramani Mahama is aimed at diverting attention of the public from the misrule and failure of the NPP government, including the Drone Saga”, he said in a statement issued in Kumasi on Wednesday.

According to Mr. Njourkone, the many promises made by the NPP during the 2016 campaigns, which lured the people to vote them into power, had now become an albatross on the neck of the government.

However, as the days go by, the mouth-watering promises are now becoming a mirage. “The anger of the people is closing up on the NPP government and Wontumi, trying to be swift, is using this as a leeway to divert attention of the people from the woeful failure and bad rule of the Akuffo Addo’s government”, Mr Njourkone emphasized.

He said Ghanaians were well awake to the diversionary tactics of Chairman Wontumi and could see through his deceits, adding that, no serious Ghanaian would be swayed by his tricks. Mr Njourkone said there was nothing that could override clear constitutional provisions and that Article 66 (1) (2), 60(7) were unambiguous on the tenure and terms of office of a president.

“The issue is whether John Mahama served two terms and could be barred from coming to serve another term? The answer is no.

It is undisputed fact that, Mahama served a four year term from 7th January 2013 to 7th January, 2017. But before then, he stepped in to serve the unexpired term of six months to complete the tenure of the late President Atta Mills following his demise. This was from Tuesday, 24th July, 2012 to 7th January, 2013”, he pointed out.

Furthermore, he said the benefits granted former presidents and the number of times people have been sworn-in as presidents or caretakers could be used as the basis to prevent them from contesting if they had not served the required number of years which was two ‘four-year’ terms provided for by the constitution.

Mr Njourkone said these facts were known to Chairman Wontumi and “his recent attack on Mahama, was just to divert attention of the public from their failures.”.