Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Emmanuel Victor Smith, is lacing his boots to battle for the Abuakwa North parliamentary seat in the Eastern Region on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the upcoming polls, information reaching DAILY GUIDE indicates.
Credible sources confirmed that Mr Smith, currently in the UK, is seriously mounting pressure through his special aide, Charles Owusu Danso, on Anthony Gyimah, the elected NDC parliamentary candidate for the constituency, asking to offer him (Gyimah) an amount of GH¢1 million to vacate the slot for him.
The High Commissioner is said to be shuttling between London and Kukurantumi, the constituency capital, in order to seal the deal with the NDC candidate to enable him to oil his parliamentary ambition.
The diplomat, who is a former Eastern Regional Minister, contested the parliamentary election along with slain JB Danquah-Adu, who was the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP). In spite of using his position as regional minister and so-called projects to woo voters, JB floored him, forcing him to kiss the Abuakwa North seat goodbye.
Realising that he was not a match for Mr JB Danquah-Adu, Mr Victor Smith threw in the towel, refusing to contest in the NDC parliamentary primary on November 21, 2015.
Presidential Ambition
Barely a few months after JB’s demise, the envoy is staging a comeback, eyeing the seat in order to use it to shore up his presidential ambition after President John Mahama’s exit.
An unknown group calling itself Concerned Youth of Abuakwa North for Development is appealing to Mr Smith to contest the parliamentary seat, even though the NDC has an elected candidate in the person of Anthony Gyimah, a USA-based medical doctor, who won the primary after beating his four other contenders, including the East Akim Municipal Chief Executive, Peter Simeon Asirifi.
By-Election
The seat became vacant when a suspected killer, Daniel Asiedu, 20, aka Sexy Don Don, now facing prosecution, stormed the late Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu’s residence at Shiashie, Accra, and stabbed him to death on February 9, 2016.
The NDC boycotted the by–election because Anthony Osei Gyimah was said not to be a registered voter and was having a dual citizenship, hence the party’s decision to avoid a possible court case or a disqualification.
Even though the NDC further decided to allow Victor Smith to contest, it later changed its decision.
The NPP retained the seat with the election of Gifty Twum-Ampofo, a tutor at the Akosombo International School.
However, Anthony Gyimah, who hails from Akyem-Anyinasin, last week got registered in the just-ended limited registration exercise and is seriously campaigning for votes for the November polls.
Rejection
The source said, “Anthony Gyimah has rejected the offer but some NDC members are still insisting that he should accept the money (GH¢1 million) and step aside. His aide said Victor wants to contest the 2020 presidential race, but he has to win the Abuakwa North seat first before embarking on that move.”
According to the source, Anthony Gyimah started receiving phone calls and held a meeting with Charles Owusu Danso. Even though the parliamentary candidate hasn’t received any threat, he doesn’t feel comfortable even to sleep in his own house at Anyinasin and doesn’t drive his own car. He reportedly takes taxi for his rounds to campaign because he fears for his life.
Mr Gyimah, who is said to be worried and frustrated about the issue, is yet to inform the party hierarchy.
Victor’s Secret Campaign
DAILY GUIDE sources confirmed that Mr Victor Smith last month came to the constituency and met some of the party executives to offer them money and logistics to rally behind him.
According to the sources, his men are seriously working underground against Anthony Gyimah’s candidature, dissuading his supporters to lose confidence in him on the basis that the candidate can’t win the seat.
Several meetings, DAILY GUIDE gathered, have also been held across the length and breadth of the constituency gingering the youth to rally behind Victor and to ignore Anthony Gyimah.
Victor’s Reaction
When DAILY GUIDE contacted Mr Smith via telephone, he debunked reports that he was lobbying through his men to offer Anthony Gyimah GH¢1 million so that he would step down to allow him (Victor) to be in the race.
“It’s never true that I want to offer Anthony Gyimah such money. That’s interesting. If I had such money I would have used it for investment or to establish a company for the youth. I’m not interested in that seat anymore. I would have come and contested the primary,” he underscored.
According to him, he learned the grassroots were calling on him to come and contest since they believed that he would win the parliamentary seat, but he hadn’t decided or asked anybody to hold talks with Anthony Gyimah to step aside.
“I have been going to the constituency to meet my people and campaign for President John Mahama to win the next election but I have not decided or have any interest to contest the seat; it’s not my priority. My vision is to help the youth there and inspect the projects that I left there and nothing else,” Victor stated.
Aide
However, his aide, Charles Owusu Danso, a NADMO officer, pleaded with DAILY GUIDE not to publish the story, since he thought it would create confusion between the two party gurus.
“He met Anthony Gyimah and spoke to him as a brother to step aside for him if possible, since he (Gyimah) knows clearly that he can’t win the seat for the party to achieve its ‘Agenda 50/50’ in the region come the November elections; but never asked to offer Gyimah GH¢1 million nor mounted any pressure on him,” Victor’s aide told DAILY GUIDE.
He added, “Almost all the constituency executives have agreed to support Victor Smith but it is left with Anthony Gyimah to agree and step aside. It’s not true that Victor Smith wants to bribe Gyimah to step aside.”
NDC’s Response
Bismark Tawiah Boateng, regional chairman of the NDC, when contacted, said he had no knowledge of the issue.
According to him, the party had not taken any decision of that sort and the parliamentary candidate hadn’t reported any matter to him.
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