Victor Smith Apologises For Comments Over Presidential Nominee

The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Victor Smith has apologised to President John Dramani Mahama and Vice Presidential nominee, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, for his comments which were aired by a radio station and published in the Daily Graphic with respect to the nomination of Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur.

Mr Victor Smith also apologized to all others who might have been aggrieved by the comments which according to him had been misconstrued.

In a text message to our Eastern Regional Correspondent on Friday, Mr Victor Smith who is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for the Abuakwa North Constituency for the December elections, said he had no ill-feelings against Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur who he indicated had been a loyal member of the NDC.

Mr Smith said he had no question about his credentials to occupy the office for which the President had nominated him.

“On the issue of Vice Presidential nominee, I granted a number of press interviews intending to clarify that the President’s nominee wasn’t necessarily his running mate for the 2012 elections.

“The import of my comments has been misconstrued and I wish to apologize to the President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, Vice Presidential nominee, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur and all others who may have been aggrieved by my comments, I do not have any ill-feelings against Mr Amissah-Arthur.

“He is a loyal member of the NDC and I have no question about his credentials to occupy the office for which the President nominated him”, Mr Victor Smith said.

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It would be recalled that a radio station, Assempa FM aired a news story on August 2 to the effect that Mr Victor Smith had kicked against the presentation of Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, Governor of the Bank of Ghana as the vice presidential nominee of President Mahama because, he would not be able to woo floating voters in the December elections and that the NDC would be gambling with its fortunes if he was made to pair President Mahama.

In the report which was also carried on the front page of the Daily Graphic in its August 3 edition, Mr Smith was reported to have said that a running mate should automatically posses the qualities of a president, adding that Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur may be a good administrator but did not have the edge to move crowds and increase NDC votes in this year’s elections.

The report further stated that the President had not announced to the NDC that Mr Amissah-Arthur would be his running mate, claiming the former Bank of Ghana Governor was nominated to help the President to complete the unexpired term of the late President J.E.A. Mills who died on August 24.

It also stated that President Mahama had not been confirmed as the flagbearer so he could not nominate a running mate.