Plans by supporters of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to hold a candlelight vigil in his honour have sparked strong reactions on social media.
The vigil, scheduled for Friday, August 14, 2026, is being organised under the theme “Light of Unity” and the banner “Ashanti Stands With Wontumi”.
According to a post on X on August 12, the event is expected to take place from 6 pm to 9 pm at the Dr Bawumia Campaign Office in Asokwa.
A large banner advertising the event features a portrait of Wontumi alongside a lit candle, an image that has drawn particular attention online.
Several users on X questioned the decision to organise a candlelight vigil for the incarcerated NPP chairman, with some arguing that the imagery could be interpreted as suggesting a wish for his death.
Others criticised the decision to publicly support Wontumi while he is serving a prison sentence, citing allegations concerning his handling of government resources and activities linked to illegal mining.
“Imagine telling your children you’re going to a candlelight vigil and they ask, Who died? Then you say, Nobody, we are supporting someone in prison. Ghanaian politics is something else,” one user wrote.
Another user questioned the intention behind the vigil, asking, “They wish him dead or what?”
A third commenter criticised the NPP supporters for openly backing someone who had been convicted, writing: “Someone commits a crime and a whole party publicly supports him. They think we all fools anaa?”
Another social media user described the situation as evidence that “we are not serious as a country”, while referring to allegations involving government funds.
Wontumi has served as Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP since 2014. He was convicted by an Accra High Court on July 20, 2026, over offences related to illegal mining activities involving his company, Akonta Mining Limited, and its concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
The court sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour after finding him guilty of offences including assigning mineral rights without the required ministerial approval and facilitating unlicensed mining operations.
The planned vigil has consequently become another point of debate over political loyalty, public support for convicted figures and how such gestures are perceived by the wider public.
