Court cases don't disqualify leaders - Wontumi's team fires Rosemond Obeng

Nii Ayitey Brown 20:55 - 16 May 2026

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Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (left), Presidential Staffer, Rosemond Obeng (right)

The Wontumi Campaign has responded to comments by presidential staffer Rosemond Obeng on politicians with court cases contesting leadership positions. The campaign cited historical figures including Kwame Nkrumah, Rawlings and Nelson Mandela to defend its position on political leadership and democracy.

The Wontumi Campaign has criticised presidential staffer Rosemond Obeng over remarks suggesting politicians with active court cases should not contest party leadership positions.
The campaign argued that many global and Ghanaian leaders, including Kwame Nkrumah, Jerry John Rawlings and Nelson Mandela, faced imprisonment or legal battles before rising to leadership.
The statement insists that political leadership should be decided by voters and not by ongoing court cases or political accusations.

The campaign team of Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has pushed back against comments allegedly made by presidential staffer Rosemond Obeng suggesting that politicians with ongoing court cases should not be allowed to contest party leadership positions.

In a strongly worded statement, the Communication Directorate of the Wontumi Campaign described the remarks as “politically immature” and lacking historical understanding, arguing that many respected political leaders across the world faced arrests, imprisonment or court trials before eventually rising to leadership.

“Her statement that “no serious political party would allow someone with active court cases to contest for chairmanship” is not only politically immature but also exposes a worrying lack of historical understanding about leadership, democracy, sacrifice and political struggles across the world.”, it said.

The reaction follows a statement attributed to Rosemond Obeng and published by UTV Ghana in which she reportedly said that “no serious political party would allow someone with active court cases to contest for chairmanship.”

Responding to the comment, the Wontumi Campaign said democracy should not be reduced to legal accusations or political attacks, insisting that leadership must ultimately be decided by the people.

“To suggest that individuals facing court cases are automatically unfit for leadership is historically shallow and politically inexperienced,” the statement said.

The campaign cited several historical and political figures to support its argument. It referenced Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who was jailed during the colonial era in 1950 but later led the Convention People’s Party to victory in the 1951 elections while still imprisoned.as well as former President Jerry John Rawlings, who was arrested and court-martialed after his failed uprising in 1979 before later becoming Ghana’s Head of State.

It also cited the instance where former President Jerry John Rawlings, was arrested and court-martialed after his failed uprising in 1979 before later becoming Ghana’s Head of State.

The Wontumi Campaign maintained that political leadership should be determined through democratic choice rather than public perception surrounding ongoing legal cases.

According to the team, political accusations and legal battles have affected several leaders both in Ghana and abroad, but history has often judged them differently over time.

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