Politics of Tuesday, 13 May 2014

Source: Daily Guide

Wontumi meets Prez Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama met face-to-face with Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka ‘Wontumi’, the Ashanti Regional New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman, in Kumasi on Sunday.

The president and the NPP capo were among the top notch people in society that stormed the Baba Yara Stadium for a grand durbar commemorating the 15-year anniversary of the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

There have been reports of bad blood between the two top personalities, with Wontumi threatening to lead a mammoth demonstration to force President Mahama to step down.

A younger brother of the President, Ibrahim Mahama, has sued the NPP chairman because he claimed Wontumi had defamed him in public.

Political observers and analysts were therefore afraid that the presence of President Mahama and Wontumi, who led a high-powered NPP delegation to the function, might spark confusion.

But that was not to be, as both President Mahama and Wontumi displayed political maturity, shaking hands in a friendly manner as if they were the best of friends.

Wontumi was leading the NPP team comprising National Chairman Paul Afoko, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia and wife, Samira, Rebecca Akufo-Addo among others. After greeting ex-President Kufuor and others, he proceeded to where President Mahama was seated.

The two gentlemen shook hands and even had a brief chat, as President Mahama openly whispered into the ears of Wontumi who was dressed in a nice kente cloth.

After the brief chat, both Wontumi and the President were seen smiling as the NPP chairman proceed to greet ex-President Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman.

Meanwhile, political observers have told the paper there is the possibility that a friction exists between the President and Wontumi, but they decided to behave as if all was well, perhaps, due to the respect that they both have for the Ashanti King.