APNU warns Azruddin Mohamed will ‘remarry’ PPP, wary of money-driven campaign

Last Updated on Friday, 18 July 2025, 21:14 by Writer

The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) on Friday warned its supporters that Azruddin Mohamed could eventually make up with the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) after the September 1 general and regional elections.

APNU vice presidential candidate Ganesh Mahipaul said historically there has been a pattern of small parties such as The United Force, Liberty and Justice Party and The New Movement portraying themselves as independent voices but eventually their leaders back the PPPC. “I don’t think it’s going to be anyway different with the Mohameds. Azruddin Mohamed and Irfaan Ali were best friends. They shared a good relationship,” he told reporters.

“The people of Guyana should not gamble with their vote and evidence has shown that, very well so, Azruddin Mohamed could go down as an Asha Kissoon (of TNM), as a Lenox Shuman (of LJP), as a Manzoor Nadir (of TUF) and people should be very careful as to how they vote and they should ensure that they vote wisely ,” he said , adding that only APNU was focussed on improving the conditions of Guyanese and “I trust that the Guyanese people will be smart in how they vote.”

Mr Mahipaul cautioned that that was about to happen with WIN, despite the very caustic attacks and allegations of corruption against the Mohameds, centering on the fact that they were in June 2024 sanctioned by the United States (US) for alleged evasion of US$50 million in taxes on the export of 10,000 kilogrammes of gold.

The PNCR said it had also had evidence that Mr Mohamed, a billionaire businessman turned politician was buying support, in response to questions about whether his We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party was attracting traditional PNCR-APNU supporters. “From the evidence that is available, a lot of people went there for the money,” APNU presidential candidate, Aubrey Norton told a news conference. Asked if he had concrete evidence that Mr Mohamed was using his wealth to influence his political ambitions, Mr Norton said, “it was reported to us and we take those reports to be credible”.

During the course of an investigation against WIN activist, Bradford “Doggy” Sampson, the Guyana Police Force said on Thursday that an assaulted woman told investigators that she was employed by him, a key WIN organiser, to perform certain tasks on Nominations Day for the said WIN party, and in return thereof, Sampson promised to pay her GY$50,000.

PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo had also alleged that Mr Mohamed was paying people to participate in his party’s activities, and that the relationship between WIN and the PNCR-APNU was backfiring on the Norton-led coalition.

Mr Norton remarked that the PPPC administration, in a similar manner, had allegedly paid people in Linden and Georgetown in the run-up to the Local Government Elections, but voted for APNU. The APNU had lost seats to the PPPC but still retained control of the councils in its strongholds of Linden, Georgetown and New Amsterdam.

Deflecting concerns that WIN was making inroads in APNU areas, Mr Mahipaul said an analysis of WIN’s list of candidates shows that 72 percent come from constituencies that are normally won by the PPP. “We are not worried about him (Azruddin Mohamed),” said Mr Mahipaul who is also a PNCR Central Executive member.

The WIN Leader is on record as ruling out coalescing with any party but would use its leverage in the 65-seat National Assembly “in the interest of Guyana”.