Election candidate Devrae Noel-Simmons has joined the One Bermuda Alliance as sticking with the United Bermuda Party would have been “political suicide.”Mr Noel-Simmons turned his back on the UBP on Wednesday afternoon just months after the party selected him to represent Warwick South Central.He then became an OBA member just hours later by signing up online. It is now his hope to be selected as an OBA candidate for the same constituency.Mr Noel-Simmons said: “Everyone was asking me what I was going to do next, but I wanted to talk to my family and constituents before I made my decision.“People advised me that I should go. They suggested that I would be committing political suicide by remaining loyal to Kim Swan and staying with the party on my morals.“I agreed with them that it was in my best interests to move forward and accept change.“I was never against change, I just wanted to make sure everyone was comfortable with it.”Mr Noel-Simmons contested the December 15 2010 by-election to fill the seat once held by former Premier Dr Ewart Brown. PLP’s Marc Bean went on to win the seat taking 67 percent of the votes with Mr Noel-Simmons coming second and BDA’s Sylvan Richards just behind.Mr Noel-Simmons is a married father who runs his own security and fitness companies and is well known for his mohawk hairstyle.Mr Noel-Simmons hit the headlines again last month when he was named on the temporary injunction to stop the UBP merging with the Bermuda Democratic Alliance to form the OBA. The legal action has since been dropped and Kim Swan and Charlie Swan are the only remaining UBP MPs.Mr Noel-Simmons resigned from the UBP by sending an e-mail to the party chair and the Warwick regional chair.It read: “I wish to thank all those that supported me through the by-election of December 2010. The experience and friends I have gained have been most rewarding and life changing. I wish the United Bermuda Party much success in these difficult times and hope that all future decisions are made with Bermuda’s people in mind.”Mr Noel-Simmons said he wanted to thank Mr Swan and the UBP for “supporting him through thick and thin.” He said Mr Swan had “wished him well in moving forward as a young Bermudian.”He said: “Turning your back on a party is never something you really want to do, but I’m looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.”Mr Noel-Simmons said having become an OBA member he was ready and willing to attend meetings and “get stuck in” for the good of Bermuda.He said he was keen to put his name forward as an OBA election candidate for Warwick South Central. He knows it will be a “long selection process” but he said he would put in the time and effort.Mr Noel-Simmons said: “I live in Warwick, I know the issues, I know I can do it.“It may take some time but I will go through the process. Then one day I will be selected and I will be the person I know I can be.”He added: “I just hope my hair does not become an issue. I want people to look at my heart instead of the (mo)hawk.”