A survivor of the Enniskillen bomb withdrew as the Ulster Unionist anti-agreement Westminster candidate in Fermanagh-South Tyrone yesterday as he alleged other unionists had conducted a smear campaign against him.
The constituency had been tipped as a close-run contest, with Sinn Fein insisting it could wrest the seat from the Ulster Unionist Party, which held it for 18 years.
Mr Jim Dixon, seriously injured in the 1987 IRA Remembrance Day blast, and a prominent figure on the 1999 Long March for victims of IRA violence, first claimed that his family was concerned about his health, and he had taken their advice not to proceed with the campaign.
Later yesterday he said he had been the victim of a smear campaign.
"The IRA attempted to destroy my body and nearly succeeded, but I never thought I would live to see the day that fellow unionists would try to destroy my character," he said.
A spokesman for Mr Dixon would not give further details of the incident.
The Democratic Unionist Party deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, said he was "probing" the circumstances of Mr Dixon's decision.
Speaking at Stormont, he said the party was looking very closely at the circumstances of Mr Dixon's withdrawal.
"We are already consulting with people in that camp and with others in the Fermanagh-South Tyrone area. I don't want to be giving any definitive response," he said.
Last week the party withdrew its candidate, Mr Maurice Morrow, to give Mr Dixon a clear run against a pro-agreement UUP candidate, Mr James Cooper.
Yesterday the DUP would not confirm if Mr Morrow would re-enter the race in Mr Dixon's absence.
Mr Cooper last night rejected allegations that UUP members were involved in any underhand tactics and called on Mr Dixon to confidentially reveal to him what was behind his withdrawal.
"I am absolutely appalled that Jim Dixon should insinuate that any members of my party were involved in a smear campaign," he said.
Mr Cooper said he had great respect for Mr Dixon and was "greatly saddened" his campaign had ended in this fashion.
If Mr Dixon had stood it would have been the first time since 1979 that more than one unionist candidate had contested the seat.
The UUP incumbent, Mr Ken Maginnis, held it for 18 years after taking it from Sinn Fein and commanded a majority of almost 14,000 votes. He announced his retirement from Westminster last January.
The Sinn Fein candidate, Ms Michelle Gildernew, yesterday urged nationalists to vote tactically for her in order to win back the seat previously held by Bobby Sands and become the first republican MP in the area since Mr Owen Carron.
Sinn Fein secured the largest share of the vote in the constituency in the 1998 Assembly election.
She said Mr Dixon's withdrawal was a challenge to nationalists.
"The people of this constituency understood the importance of their vote then. We need that tactical approach today," she said.
However, Mr Tommy Gallagher of the SDLP, who topped the poll in the constituency in 1998, said he was the natural choice for the constituency.
"Unlike others I will take my seat at Westminster and will represent all the people of the constituency," he said.
"For too long Fermanagh-South Tyrone has been neglected. We need jobs, we need investment, we need representation."