Ashanti Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bernard Antwi Boasiako fondly called Chairman Wontumi has revealed that, as a token of appreciation for the work Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has done for the Ashanti Region in particular and the NPP as a whole, he and many other high-ranking members of the party in the region, have taken over the campaign expenses of Dr Bawumia as he seeks to lead the party into the 2024 General Elections.

Chairman Wontumi said that he, working in concert with others, has formed a group of financiers composed of NPP Members of Parliament (MPs) from the region and other powerful members of the party to fund the campaign of the Vice President as a show of gratitude for the many developmental projects and programmes he has spearheaded to the benefit of the Ashanti Region.

To drum home their commitment, the group of bankrollers of Bawumia led by Chairman Wontumi took over his campaign expenditure when he was in the region to campaign recently. Bills that the campaign team of Dr Bawumia should have settled were all paid for by the financiers.

“Ashanti Region has spoken already and has decided to choose a leader who will lead us to break the eight [ win a third straight term to govern]. I have met the MPs. And some leaders including some Chiefs in the Ashanti Region, during which, we appreciated what the Vice President has done for Asanteman. And for that reason, he is spared the burden of bearing the cost of water, transportation, accommodation, food and other miscellaneous expenses as far as the primaries are concerned since we have decided to honour those obligations,” Chairman Wontumi declared in an interview on Wontumi Radio last week.

He stressed that Dr Bawumia will win in the Ashanti Region and should not bother campaigning any further as the delegates in the region have already made up their minds to reward him for his enormous contributions to the region’s development.

“Dr Bawumia was instrumental in the President’s decision to construct the Boankra Inland Port, the Kumasi Airport Expansion project, the Suame Interchange, the Konongo Double Lane Corridor, the Kumasi Central Market Reconstruction Project, among others. He lobbied for the region. So we say: “‘Ayekoo. And we’ll reward him. Ashanti is noted for rewarding good and hardworking people,” he explained.

Dr Bawumia has enjoyed overwhelming support from the rank and file of the party in his bid to lead the party into the 2024 General Elections. He is expected to win the flagbearership contest. But he has formidable contenders such as Alan Kyeremanten, Kennedy Agyapong and Kwabena Agyapong.