Despite being widely regarded as the stronghold of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Ashanti Region is yet to have a befitting regional head office for the party.

The situation has sparked concerns among some party faithful and political observers who argue that the absence of a permanent office in the region undermines the NPP’s presence in an area that has consistently delivered the party’s largest voter base in national elections.

Reacting to concerns raised on Nhyira FM’s ‘Kro Yi Mu Nsem’, the former Bantama MP and Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Authority, Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, also expressed disappointment over NPP’s inability to build a proper regional office, despite years of contributions from party financiers and sympathisers.

Dr Kokofu, who is in the regional chairmanship rate of the NPP, said the absence of a permanent office in the party’s traditional stronghold is a major indictment on the leadership of the NPP in the region.

According to him, a committee was previously inaugurated to mobilise funds from party financiers and sympathizers toward the construction of the regional office.

Dr Kokofu said he personally made a contribution toward the project, but to date, nothing has been done with the funds raised.

"We set up a committee to mobilise resources to build the Ashanti Regional office. I contributed my part. But till today, nothing has been done with the money we raised. The office has not been built,” he lamented.

The Ashanti Regional Chairman hopeful disclosed that his closest contender in the upcoming regional elections, Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, together with one of his supporters, Kofi Nti, served respectively as Chairman and member of the committee tasked with overseeing the project.

"The one who is campaigning to establish the regional party office if he is elected chairman is the same person who was chairman of the committee responsible for supervising the establishment of the office, but yet he failed to deliver," Dr Kokofu told host Barima Kofi Dawson-Akokoa.

Dr Kokofu said plans are far advanced for the party to secure a befitting regional headquarters, a project being spearheaded under the office of the party’s flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

“According to information from Dr Bawumia’s office, led by Hon. Collins Ntim, former MP for Offinso North, the architectural drawings for the proposed Ashanti Regional office complex have been finalised and all arrangements are in place,” he disclosed.

He further revealed that between 35 and 40 Ghanaians of Ashanti descent, both locally and in the diaspora, have indicated their willingness to support the project financially.

If elected Regional Chairman, Dr Kokofu said he would first work to unite party members through a historic homecoming conference and then push for the construction of the regional office.

He also stated that he has engaged the MP for Bantama on plans to temporarily relocate the party’s regional office to the constituency.

The Ashanti Region has been the NPP’s biggest vote bank since the Fourth Republic, and party members argue that the lack of a permanent structure undermines morale and coordination at the grassroots level.

The regional elections will be held on August 15 at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.