Opposition claims mass exodus from PNC/APNU, AFC will not affect electoral performance

The leadership of both the Peoples National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) opposition parties are not worried about the mass crossover of party members to the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). In recent weeks, a large number of opposition politicians have come forward to endorse the President Dr Irfaan Ali-led PPP/C Government for a second term in office, ahead of the September 1, 2025 elections.

However, Leader of the PNC-led APNU, Aubrey Norton, dismissed concerns about the impact this mass exodus from his party will have on their performance at the upcoming polls. During his press conference on Friday, Norton was asked if he is concerned about the impact these departures will have on the party’s performance at the upcoming polls.
“Our base is strong,” Norton contended during his press conference on Friday. “Our party structure is intact; our party base is intact… There will be no negative impact on the party…I don’t believe any of them can pull three votes.”
The recent crossovers from the PNC include former General Secretary and Opposition Parliamentarian, Geeta Chandan-Edmond; Regional Chairman for Region Four, Daniel Seeram, Vice Chairman for Region Four, Samuel Sandy, and Dr Richard Van-West Charles, who is the son-in-law of former President and founder of the PNC, Linden Forbes Burnham.
Additionally, former PNC members James Bond and Thandi McAllister, along with former General Secretary of the Guyana Youth and Student Movement – the youth arm of the PNC, Lance Smith, and former Georgetown Mayor and longstanding PNC member, Patricia Chase-Green, are now supporting the PPP.
However, Norton went on to dismiss the contributions of these politicians to the PNC over the years, noting that “they were not doing work for the party.”
He also described the recent exits from the PNC as “an end of an era when we made bad choices in terms of the people we placed in positions.”
Going forward, Norton said the PNC will be more careful in choosing members for positions.
“What I can assure you is that moving forward, most of the people on the PNC list will be tested and proven PNC persons. When people aren’t tested and proven, then you cannot be assured of their commitment. We will work in naming our next list to ensure there will be new people but we will have a list of people who are committed to [the] party…,” Norton said.
Meanwhile, the AFC camp has not been spared by the crossovers, with its Regional Democratic Councillor for Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Ismail Muhammad-Al-Cush, and Chairman of the AFC’s Region Seven Division, David Daniels, recently endorsing President Ali.
At the party’s press conference on Friday, AFC Leader Nigel Hughes also stated that these departures will not impact the party’s performance at the upcoming elections.
“We are unaware of any immediate impact to the persons who are likely to vote for the Alliance For Change…It doesn’t have an impact of our policies. As a matter of fact, a lot of the work – in the case of Mr Daniels, that had been done at the Small Miners Association and the development of mining in Region Seven, was done while he headed the Alliance For Change and most of those policies, he did with the support of persons in the Alliance For Change and remain in the Alliance For Change in Region Seven,” Hughes posited.
The AFC leader went on to add, “…we appreciate the work and time and effort of both of them but the proof of the pudding is coming on the 1st of September.”
In addition to crossovers from these two main political parties, leaders of several smaller parties – The Citizenship Initiative (TCI) – Shaz Ally; The New Movement (TNM) Dr Asha Kissoon, and the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) Lenox Shuman – have also joined the PPP/C ahead of the 2025 polls.
During his weekly press conference on Thursday, PPP General Secretary (GS) noted that these persons from the Opposition camp, who have come forward to endorse President Ali and the PPP for a second term, are witnessing the transformation of the country and want to contribute to this process.
In fact, he dismissed claims that these individuals were promised positions when the PPP wins the upcoming elections, noting that even the current Cabinet Ministers do not know if they will be returning to their offices after the September 1 elections.
“None who came to us has been offered anything,” Jagdeo explained, noting that unlike the Opposition political parties, the PPP does not spend time discussing ‘positions’ but rather, focuses its discourse on policies and strategies that can contribute to the development of the country.