AFC’s Fernandes, Duncan to defect to PNCR-APNU

Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 June 2025, 22:55 by Writer

Alliance For Change (AFC) executive members Juretha Fernandes and Sherod Duncan are set to formally break ties with that party to make way for being included on the list of candidates for the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), a PNCR spokesman said Wednesday.

PNCR spokesman, Sherwood Lowe confirmed that Ms Fernandes and Mr Duncan would be announced as APNU candidates after they have officially resigned from the AFC. Mr Lowe also said that Ms Fernandes is tipped to be  APNU’s prime ministerial candidate.

Nomination Day is July 14, 2025.

Mr Duncan, a former Georgetown Deputy Mayor, lost in his bid last year to become AFC Leader after Mr Nigel Hughes was maneuvered back into the limelight and accepted the nomination for the top party post. Ms Fernandes has been the opposition APNU+AFC’s member on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

In recent weeks, Mr Duncan had been seen accompanying Mr Norton and other PNCR executives on community visits.

These are the only two known defections from any of the other parties to the PNCR-led APNU, after several persons walked away from the Aubrey Norton-led political organisation in recent weeks and endorsed President Irfaan Ali to lead the People’s Progressive Party Civic for a second straight term.

The latest APNU-PNCR person to have left is lawyer Amanza Walton-Desir who on Wednesday announced that she would be heading a new political organisation, but did not rule out reaching an accommodation with another political party except the PPPC.

The shift by Ms Fernandes and Mr Duncan to the AFC came after the collapse of talks between AFC and APNU over who should be the presidential candidate, the percentage of cabinet share, holding of key ministerial positions, Representative of the List of Candidates and the Speaker of the National Assembly.