Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources V Alfred Gray yesterday said the Free National Movement (FNM) will no doubt destroy itself and the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) will not get involved with the unrest within the party.
Earlier this week, it was reported that six FNM MPs are looking to oust Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis.
In fact, Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner, St. Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman, Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant, Montagu MP Richard Lightbourne, North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly and Fort Charlotte MP Dr. Andre Rollins reportedly sent a letter to the governor general asking him to be removed as leader of the official opposition.
Mr. Gray said Dr. Minnis has been warned on numerous occasions of the very same individuals attempting to sabotage him now as they have tried it before.
The minister said Dr. Minnis specifically should have known better than to trust former PLP MP Andre Rollins given what he did to his former leader; however Mr. Gray says this is no issue of the PLP.
“We are not going to get distracted by what’s happening with the FNM. That quite frankly is not our business. They will self-destruct; we don’t have to help them. You watch how it works out because no matter how this ends up the FNM will not be the same because Minnis will not trust them anymore,” he said.
Mr. Gray says moving forward should Dr. Minnis trust the six MPs he would be very surprised.
“Because what’s going to happen to the rest of them who say the party belongs to them, like the Turnquests, and the big Bay Street Boys who haven’t reached but they are coming out because they feel the party has been hijacked by Dr. Minnis. I’ve heard and I’m hearing Ingraham wants to come back, Symonette wants to come back. They see an opportunity to come back but no matter how they do, it the FNM split is going to be permanent, mark my words on that,” Mr. Gray said.
Dr. Minnis reportedly still has the support of deputy leader and MP for East Grand Bahama Peter Turnquest, South Abaco MP Edison Key and Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells.
Mr. Gray said the divide is too deep to be mended and added that no FNM issue will affect the set plan moving forward for the PLP to succeed in the upcoming election.
