I’ll give Victor Smith compulsory retirement – MP

The Abuakwa North Member of Parliament, Gifty Twum Ampofo says Anthony Gyimah’s candidature was much competition for her than Ambassador Victor Smith who wants to warm his way to the parliamentary contest set for December, 2016.

Madam Twum Ampofo maintains Gyimah who withdrew from the contest under bizarre circumstances was an unpredictable candidate, who would have toughen her campaign towards the elections than Smith whom she claimed is not a steady alternative to push the NDC’s bid for the 2016 elections.

“For Victor I’ll give him compulsory retirement, because he’s no match for me in the upcoming contest. Gyimah was making the campaign difficult because he would have been unpredictable candidate, as nobody knew him that much in the constituency having stayed abroad for so many years and what he was bringing on-board, but Victor will ease my campaign, the Abuakwa North legislator said in an interview with Fiifi Banson on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM.

According to her, the constituency has seen it all with Ambassador Victor Smith having been Regional Minister for the incumbent government yet was unable to attract meaningful development for the constituency.

Ghana’s High Commissioner to UK and Ireland, Victor Smith has picked his nomination form 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 last week citing personal reasons for his decision.

Anthony Osei Gyimah’s move 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 reportedly 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.

But Victor Smith, who has made a u-turn on his ambitions said he has an unfinished business in the constituency which he needs to undertake with respect to ensuring development for the residents, hence his bid to contest the seat.