We can't pressure Mahama’s brother-in-law to resign – NDC

The Eastern Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Tawiah Boateng has denied claims suggesting that Tony Gyimah who withdrew from the upcoming parliamentary polls in the Abuakwa North constituency on the ticket of the NDC was pressured by Ambassador Victor Smith to step down for him.

Tawiah said such allegations are unfounded because the nominee is a brother in-law of President John Mahama, hence such links with the President makes nonsense of the argument that he[Gyimah] could easily be pressured to resign for anybody to contest the seat ahead of the elections.

“The Executives in the jurisdiction were divided over his candidature as such there were lingering issues that were festering, so according to the discussion I had with him he wanted peace to prevail and on his own volition decided to leave the contest so the party can be united going into the crucial contest,” Tawiah Boateng told sit-in-host Kweku Owusu Adjei on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM Tuesday.

The sudden change of mind of the nominee, Anthony Gyimah to resign ahead of the elections according to some political watchers has fueled the allegations months ago that Gyimah had received a whopping GHc1 million from Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, H.E Victor Smith who’s said 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.

Gyimah, with barely four months to the elections tendered in his resignation to the party on Monday citing personal reasons for his decision, a decision many has expressed shock over it.

On the back of the current development, the party has opened nominations to Friday for any interested qualified party member to file and contest the position left vacant by Mr Gyimah.