Former Vice President and 2024 NPP flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, together with the Minority Leader, has been granted access to the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi.

Chairman Wontumi was recently transferred to the custody of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) following his detention by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.

The transfer has fuelled political tensions and heightened public scrutiny. Dr Bawumia is reportedly leading efforts to meet EOCO’s bail conditions, which include a GHs50 million bond with two justified sureties. These conditions are yet to be satisfied.

In the wake of his transfer, several NPP Members of Parliament, senior party officials, and a large number of supporters have converged at the NIB premises to express solidarity. The area has since been placed under tight security.

Chairman Wontumi was initially arrested on Tuesday, 27 May, by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service and subsequently handed over to EOCO. Though he was granted bail on Wednesday, 28 May, his continued detention has triggered public outcry and political mobilisation.

On Thursday, 29 May, Minority MPs staged a protest march from Parliament to EOCO headquarters in Accra, demanding Wontumi’s immediate release.

The demonstration caused considerable traffic disruptions and prompted a heightened police presence. The protest action, however, came to an end on Friday, 30 May, when the Minority returned to parliamentary proceedings.

As the case continues to unfold, calls for due process, transparency, and restraint from all sides are growing louder, amid concerns over the political and legal implications of the ongoing developments.