Latest update September 3rd, 2026 10:25 AM
Hughes says remains dedicated to AFC; throws support behind Patterson
Kaieteur News – Attorney, Nigel Hughes, while taking full responsibility for the defeat of his party at the recent General and Regional Elections, said he remains dedicated to the Alliance For Change (AFC) and will fully support party chairman, David Patterson.
Hughes appeared on the panel Friday during his party’s press conference and declared, “if you’re the captain of the ship and the ship sinks, you’re responsible.”
Attorney Nigel Hughes
He said further, “It doesn’t matter whether the force mate didn’t wake up or the groundsman didn’t serve the breakfast in time, you are responsible. And perhaps, where I come from…that’s the reality of it. You don’t barely lose a match. You either lose a match or win it and in the legal profession, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but at the end of the day, the responsibility is mine,” he told the media.
Hughes lamented that for the first time since its existence, the AFC does not have a single seat in parliament, a situation, he believes is an outright rejection of his leadership.
Clarifying some aspects of the resignation he tendered last week to general secretary, Raphael Trotman, Hughes said he “takes complete and absolute responsibility” for the results of the September 1 polls.
“I appreciate the gracious comments that came from the party in relation to collective responsibility. I continue to be dedicated and a member of the Alliance For Change, and my full support is behind David Patterson in his position as leader of the party, and I am certainly going to be around to assist the party in its analysis of what has happened, but it is a time for the change of regard,” he said.
Affirming his support for Patterson in his new role as leader, Hughes extended his thanks to all who supported him and the party over the past year. He noted that the time for rebirth, reassessment and a new time for Guyana’s future has arrived.
Meanwhile, in a release following the press conference, the party said it maintains its commitment to improving governance in Guyana and despite the results at the 2025 polls, remains a viable and valuable player in the political landscape.
“We have initiated an analysis of our present situation and over the weekend, we will be engaging our broad membership on an analysis of our present situation and the way forward… As we rebuild our beloved party, we do so in a political environment that has changed much since the AFC was birthed in 2005. We have a fairly young electorate; we are now an oil producing nation with revenues that outstrip anything we have seen before. But while much has changed, too much remains the same,” the party reasoned.
It said the 2025 elections cycle showed clearly, the urgent need for constitutional reform. Citing the reports of the observer missions, AFC reminded that there is need for campaign financing legislation, an independent media landscape and very importantly, changes at the Guyana Elections Commission.
“While these are gray times for the AFC, we see light on the horizon. Our members remain loyal to the party, our supporters have been calling to re-engage, local and international agencies continue to engage the AFC. We are still seen as a vital player in Guyana politics. We will learn from our past and come back stronger and better. As we have said before, the AFC is here to stay.”
The AFC contested the elections and acquired a mere 3,610 votes, upsetting any chances of securing a single seat in the National Assembly.
Share this:
Discover more from Kaieteur News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Similar Articles
Website Hits
Blunt of the day
Sports
Features/Columnists
Sir. Ronald Sanders
The GHK Lall Column
Weekend Cartoon
