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An aspirant for the Ashanti Regional chairmanship position of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Robert Asare-Bediako, has confessed to taking money from the party’s leadership to allow the current regional chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Wontumi) contest unopposed in the 2018 elections of the party.
According to him, the payment was compensation for the cost incurred having campaigned for the contest before being asked to step down.
“I was called by party leaders to step down for Wontumi at the time. They promised to pay for all I had spent, so I accepted. I left for the USA to move on with my life after the elections. Later, I was invited by the party hierarchy, and they paid an amount as compensation. So yes, if you ask me…I was paid; in fact, all the debt incurred was paid in full. If for nothing at all, I campaigned on the ticket of the party and that alone is a plus for them…” he stated in an interview with Garden City TV on Thursday, May 5, 2022.
On April 11, 2018, Robert Asare-Bediako signed a letter explaining his exit from the Ashanti Regional chairmanship race.
“The ‘panin pa wo fie’ campaign has the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at heart. But, upon sober reflection and introspection, and circumstances beyond my control, I, Robert Asare Bediako, gracefully suspend my campaign,” portions of his letter read.
Despite his recent confession, the aspirant, some three days after the NPP’s regional chairmanship election of April 12, 2018, denied that his decision to step down was a result of pressure mounted on him by the leadership of the party.
Speaking on Accra-based Peace FM, he maintained that he had not received any payment to influence his decision.
Meanwhile, some members of the NPP in the Ashanti Region had earlier this year raised concerns about what they say is “pressure from some party executives at the National level” on some contestants to step down in the just ended constituency and forthcoming regional chairmanship polls.
