Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes has resigned as Leader of the Alliance For Change, citing the party’s dismal performance at the September 1 elections under his leadership.
In the resignation letter to the AFC General Secretary, Mr. Hughes said he was taking full responsibility for the party’s poor performance and believes it is now time for new leadership.
The AFC picked up just 3,610 votes at the elections, making it the party’s worst performance at national elections since its formation 20 years ago, and leaving it locked out of the National Assembly.
Mr. Hughes in his resignation said the results were beyond disappointing and he believes the responsibility for the bad results rests solely on his shoulder.
He told the General Secretary in his resignation letter that he still believes that the party has a great role to play in the development of the country, and he offers best wishes to the Chair and the executive of the party as he pledged his continuous support.
This is not the first time that Hughes has resigned from a leadership position in the AFC. In 2013, he resigned as Chairman of the AFC over revelations that he once served as the company secretary for the Amaila Hydro Incorporarted, which at the time, was smeared in controversy surrounding the Amaila Falls Hydro power project and ongoing questions and concerns from the then political opposition, which included the AFC.
In the lead up to this year’s elections, the AFC which stepped away from its coalition partner, the APNU after the 2020 elections, made efforts to rekindle that partnership but it fell through without a deal, leaving the two parties to head into the elections on their own.
Both parties saw dismal performances at the elections. The last time the two sides entered elections separately was back in 2011 when the APNU won 26 seats and the AFC won 7. Together the two sides controlled the majority in the parliament and went on to form a winning coalition for the 2015 elections, taking the Government.
However, that Government fell to a no-confidence vote which was supported by an AFC Member of Parliament.
The two sides still went ahead as a coalition for the 2020 elections under a new coalition pact but lost those elections which were dogged by allegations of fraud.
The attempt to rekindle the partnership this year failed months before the elections.
On election day, after casting his vote, Mr. Hughes admitted that the 2025 elections were tough for his party as it faced many challenges while doing it alone.
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