Leader of the Opposition and head of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton, was absent on Wednesday from a joint press conference of Opposition political parties which was convened by the Alliance for Change (AFC) to address concerns surrounding the tragic death of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge.
Held outside of the remains of the Double Day Hotel — which has since been burnt, and where Adrianna’s body was discovered — the press briefing was attended by several political and civil society figures. Norton, however, who also serves as chairman of the coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), of which the PNCR is the largest faction, was absent. Other members of the APNU were also absent, fuelling speculation of internal tensions ongoing within the Opposition camp.
AFC leader Nigel Hughes
Additionally, AFC has since been criticized for the location of the press conference. As a matter of fact, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday called out the AFC for their insensitive act of hosting the press conference at the location where the child died. He said it was not only insensitive, but rather disgusting.
Notably, former PNCR General Secretary Dawn Hastings and PNCR Member of Parliament Annette Ferguson — both of whom have publicly clashed with Norton in the past — were present at the event.
AFC Executive Cathy Hughes confirmed that Norton and other APNU members had been formally invited to attend.
Norton’s absence is seen by some as a deliberate snub, especially given its timing of coming just weeks after the AFC publicly announced it would not be teaming up with APNU to jointly contest the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
The fallout appears rooted in the AFC’s lack of confidence in Norton’s leadership, particularly his suitability as a presidential candidate.
Those present at the press conference included AFC Leader Nigel Hughes, AFC Chairman David Patterson, Simona Broomes, Dorwain Bess, Terrence Campbell, and Nigel London.
The event commenced with a joint statement being read by Campbell, wherein there was a call for the involvement of international law enforcement agencies in the investigation surrounding the events of Adrianna’s death.
