Just a day after staging a dramatic walkout over the bail conditions imposed on NPP’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, the Minority Caucus in Parliament made an unexpected return to the chamber on Friday, May 30, 2025.
The boycott was triggered by the GHC50 million bail granted to Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, who was arrested earlier in the week by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
Party members described the amount as excessive and politically charged, sparking uproar within both the NPP and the Minority’s ranks.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin led Thursday’s protest, accusing authorities of manipulating the legal process for political ends.
“We are not going to ask for any property. We don’t have GH₵50 million. Where is he going to get it from?” Afenyo-Markin asked during an impassioned address in Parliament. “They must do the right thing, and we will not be part of any proceeding until then.”
His defiance went further than words. He pledged personal allegiance to Chairman Wontumi, stating, “We will stand with him. If it means we have to spend nights with him, we will do so.”
Their swift return on Friday, however, signaled a softening of that hardened stance. Though no official explanation was given for the reversal, their presence in the chamber suggested backchannel negotiations or a recalibrated political strategy.
Wontumi remains at the centre of a growing storm after EOCO confirmed his detention was linked to ongoing investigations into financial crimes. But Friday’s developments may mark a shift in the tone of political discourse surrounding his case.
