Dr. Samuel Afriyie, a lecturer at Kumasi Technical University, has fired a pointed warning at the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), cautioning that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will not let recent arrests of its prominent figures go unanswered when it regains power.
Reacting strongly to the detention and eventual release of Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, Dr. Afriyie accused the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) of politically motivated actions and described the treatment of Wontumi as “heartless” and “humiliating.”
“I pity the young politicians in the NDC. They are going to suffer the revenge,” he said. “The next NPP government will not forgive what has been done to Chairman Wontumi and all NPP members.”
Dr. Afriyie singled out NDC stalwarts such as Sammy Gyamfi, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and Sam George, warning that these younger faces of the party would bear the weight of political payback.
His fierce comments come amid a growing perception within the NPP that the current administration is using state institutions to target political opponents.
Wontumi’s recent arrest—reportedly tied to allegations of fraud, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state—sparked outrage among party faithful. He was later granted a GHS50 million bail after nearly a week in EOCO custody.
The Wontumi episode follows earlier legal pressure on former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who is currently undergoing treatment for prostate cancer abroad, but remains under scrutiny by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
Another case involving NPP’s Adenta constituency chairman, Kumi, has further deepened suspicions of selective justice.
Dr. Afriyie warned that any attempt by moderate NPP leaders to call for calm in the future would be rejected by the party’s base.
“Any NPP leader who will call for sympathy at that time will not be forgiven by the grassroots,” he said. “This is personal now. The base of the party is angry, and they will not forget.”
Framing Wontumi’s arrest as symbolic of a broader assault on the NPP’s dignity, he concluded with a chilling prediction:
“This was not just an attack on Wontumi. It was an attack on the spirit and pride of our party. And that will not go unpunished.”
