Ghana’s High Commissioner to UK and Ireland, Victor Smith has confirmed that he’ll contest in the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Abuakwa North Parliamentary election following the resignation of the Parliament Candidate, Anthony Osei Gyimah.
He will pick his nomination form today to begin the process of contesting to become the Parliamentary candidate for the area.
Mr Gyimah, with barely four months to the elections tendered in his resignation to the party on Monday citing personal reasons for his decision.
Anthony Osei Gyimah’s move has came as a shock to many NDC supporters in the Abuakwa North constituency as they saw him as viable candidate to wrestle power from the largest opposition NPP which has occupied the Parliamentary seat for more than a decade.
His sudden change of mind according to some political watchers has given credence to the rumour that made the rounds two months ago that he had received a whopping GHc1 million from Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, H.E Victor Smith who was to be interested in the position.
The rumour at the time said Mr Smith was mounting pressure on Tony Gyimah to accept the amount in order to step down for him. But a group that supported Victor Smith in the 2012 election known as “Friends of Victor Smith” in the Abuakwa north constituency led by Kwame Owusu Danso denied the publication.
In an interview, H.E Victor Smith denied the allegation leveled against him, adding that if he had that amount of money he would have put in to a better use.
According to Victor Smith, he has an unfinished business in the constituency which he needs to undertake with respect to ensuring development for the residents.
H. E Victor Smith expressed confidence of winning the party’s primary and ultimately wrestling the seat from the opposition NPP which has held on the seat for more than a decade.
“The late Hon. J.B Danquah knew what he went through when I contested him in 2012, he told some of the constituents at the end of the election that, I was really a thorn in his flesh. I’m convinced that I will emerge the Member of Parliament for the area at the end of the elections.”
