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The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for Abuakwa North, Anthony Osei Gyimah has stepped down with barely four months to the elections.

He has submitted a letter to this effect to the regional office of the party and has assigned personal reasons for his decision.

Anthony Osei Gyimah’s move has come 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’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.

However speaking to sit-in-host Akwasi Nsiah on Si Me So on Kasapa 102.5 FM, NDC deputy Eastern Regional Secretary, Francis Annor Dompreh who confirmed the candidate’s resignation stated that the party has no proof that Mr Gyimah has been influenced to step down.

He nonetheless added that he’ll not be surprised if H. E Victor Smith decides to contest for the position.

“If Victor Smith should come to Ghana to contest the slot that will not come as a surprise. He’s a member of the party and has once been the Parliamentary candidate, if he’s interested no one can stop him, unless something disqualifies him but for now the party has no issues against him.”

He disclosed that a meeting is being held in this regard to open nominations latest before the end of the week to start the process of finding a replacement for Mr Gyimah.