‘I know I am ready’…APNU’s Eden Corbin eager to inspire youth to get into politics

Jul 13, 2025 News

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By Shania Williams

Kaieteur News – At just 27 years old, Eden Corbin, an attorney-in-waiting and passionate advocate for youth development, has emerged as one of the youngest political figures vying for a seat in the upcoming September 1 General and Regional Elections.

Listed as a candidate under the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Corbin is determined to change the narrative that politics is a space reserved for the older generation.

In an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News on Friday, Corbin traced his political roots to his early teenage years and discussed the driving force behind his decision to enter frontline politics. Although this is his first time as a political candidate, his engagement with politics and national issues spans nearly a decade, including active involvement in the youth parliamentary system and legal studies specifically tailored to legislative processes.

Corbin’s passion for politics began during his formative years at Queen’s College. He participated in debates and became fascinated by the workings of Parliament. That early curiosity deepened during a work-study stint at the Parliament Office, which led to his involvement in the first official Youth Parliament under the Parliament of Guyana.

He credits this exposure as a turning point in his life, giving him the opportunity to interact with ministers and Members of Parliament and understand the legislative process far beyond textbook definitions.

“I feel I have had a passion for politics many years now. However, I would have pursued that passion more on the sidelines, you know, and quietly. I would have been supporting more civic engagement. What really pushed me to go into it full-fledged now is that I think I have reached a point of my life and my career where I want to be able to make change. I want to be able to contribute and I want to inspire young persons like myself to be more actively engaged in things that concern them, especially politics,” he told Kaieteur News.

Corbin said that his motivation to step into active politics was largely driven by the disconnect he observed between the youth population and political participation. “My thing is really to get more youths actively involved,” he said.

“Because if you look at the statistics over the years, the youth vote has been something of much concern and the youths are not actively engaged. And there is this common statement or phrase that, you know, it’s a set of old people in politics and that kind of thing. So, I being one of the persons who holds or held that belief, I thought, you know what, it is time that I take the step that I have been waiting for others to take.”

Instead of waiting on older politicians to represent youth concerns, Corbin said he now wants to be part of the solution. “So, instead of putting our faith or putting our trust in the older folks, I want to be one of those voices that can reflect what my friends, my colleagues, and youths in society want, which is persons who look like them, who speak like them, who share their issues, who understand them personally, as opposed to having to go through a proxy of somebody and, you know, sometimes intentions get lost.”

By 2016, while still a student at The Bishops’ High School, Corbin became a regular participant and organizer within the youth parliamentary structure. His dedication led to a temporary role with the planning committee of Parliament, allowing him to support and mentor newer youth participants. These experiences motivated Corbin to pursue higher education with a focus on policy and law. He earned a Bachelor’s of Laws degree from the University of Guyana, followed by a Master of Laws (LL.M) from the University of the West Indies. He specialized in Company and Corporate Law and Legislative Drafting, fields that directly align with his political ambitions.

Originally aspiring to become a parliamentary counsel, Corbin later realized that his voice could carry even further if he stepped out from behind the legal books and into active politics.

During elections period this year, Corbin revealed that a pivotal conversation with APNU leader Aubrey Norton solidified his decision to run. The discussion led to an invitation to join the party’s official candidate list. “At first, I was surprised,” Corbin said. “But then I realized I’d be foolish to let this opportunity pass,” he said.

The lawyer said his decision to align with APNU, and more specifically the PNCR, is rooted in the party’s people-centered ideology and history of community engagement.

“The PNCR more specifically has always been my party of choice but it has been because I support and I believe their vision and the ideology of the party in relation to the development of Guyana.

I think I just find comfort when I’m interacting with my comrades and it is that I feel like I’m at home. I support the party because their vision for Guyana involves the people. And it is a people-centered approach. A leadership that does not just focus on tackling, you know, characters and these things, but leadership that is geared towards people-centered approach, taking care of the people, ensuring that the monies we get from our resources are distributed, ensuring that education, ensuring that building new industries, things that will survive all of us who are a part of this,” he said.

When asked whether he is ready to become the face of youth representation in the political arena, Corbin responded with both confidence and self-awareness.

“I know I am ready,” he affirmed. “I was worried or nervous about it, because you know, I knew ahead of time I was going to be on the list and what not, but I was a bit worried and somewhat nervous about how I would be received in the public eye.”

Acknowledging common criticisms often leveled at young candidates, he said, “I know the usual saying—I’ve been a youth long enough. And you know, you hear things like, ‘Oh, he’s not experienced enough,’ ‘Too young,’ ‘Don’t know anything,’ ‘Don’t know what he’s doing.’ ”

Despite this, Corbin said that public interest in new leadership has given him the courage to step forward. “When you create a vacuum like that, persons are just excited to see fresh faces,” he said. “And as I said, I am not coming here with just political hubris and a narrative to speak on. I am coming here as a youth who has spent years developing myself professionally so that I can be recognized and that what I say has value. You understand? I am not coming to you as a fly-by-night politician who just gets put in a position.”

Corbin further emphasized that his decision to enter politics was not spontaneous, but deliberate and long considered. “My joining into politics was not a matter of if, it was a matter of when,” he explained.

“And to me, the when has to be now. Because if I don’t seize the opportunity now, I stand to be a hypocrite looking at the other youths, asking them, why are they not participating? Because that is what I tell them now.”

Corbin offered a message to the youth of Guyana: “You have more power than you know. You will make that change. This country needs you.”

As a young politician, his inspiration goes beyond simply encouraging youth participation, he aims to be a strong voice for young people and to make himself a valuable asset to society.

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• A Partnership For National Unity, Attorney Eden Corbin, Guyana Elections, Politics

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