Former members of the People’s National Congress-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) who have endorsed the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) are being welcomed with open arms, according to PPP General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.
“PPP supporters are happy for that because they see people recognizing that we are changing the country,” he stated during a press conference on Thursday.
Jagdeo noted that these endorsements demonstrate the growing strength of the PPP and its commitment to becoming a national and multiethnic party. He was responding to media reports quoting President Irfaan Ali, who mentioned that there were few complaints from long-serving PPP members regarding defectors from the opposition joining the party for personal gain.
While acknowledging that some supporters may have concerns, Jagdeo reiterated that no promises of positions were made to those switching allegiances. He emphasized that even current ministers are uncertain about their future roles after the September 1 elections.
Jagdeo clarified that former opposition members are not required to formally join the PPP or denounce their previous parties. “When people come to us, we don’t say you have to prove your loyalty by criticizing where you came from,” he explained. “They don’t have to become members of our party to be part of our national campaign. They are welcome in our collective.”
He also addressed allegations that the PPP is accepting individuals who attempted to rig the 2020 General and Regional Elections. Jagdeo stated that it is the responsibility of the leaders of the PNC/APNU and AFC to apologize to the nation for their actions during that period. “Nigel Hughes of the AFC and Aubrey Norton of the APNU must do that,” he asserted, noting their continued claims of having won the elections.
Among those who have recently endorsed the PPP are former Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sydney Allicock, former PNC General Secretary Geeta Chandan-Edmond, AFC Regional Councillor Ismail Muhammad-Al-Cush, and Region Seven AFC Chairman David Daniels. Additionally, Regional Vice Chairman for Region Four, Samuel Sandy, and PNC Executive Member Daniel Seeram have also expressed support for President Ali.
Former PNC/R Central Executive member Dr. Richard Van-West Charles stated that President Ali is the leader Guyana needs at this time. Former PNC members James Bond and Thandi McAllister have also voiced their support for the PPP.
In 2023, former General Secretary of the Guyana Youth and Student Movement (GYSM), Lance Smith, and former Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green left the PNC to join the PPP/C for the Local Government Elections.
Moreover, leaders from smaller parties, including The Citizenship Initiative (TCI), The New Movement (TNM), and the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), have also joined the PPP/C ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
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