PLP chairman laughs off Rigby bid for leadership

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts yesterday said Raynard Rigby “was not serious” when he suggested he might run for the position of party leader during the party’s convention in November. Mr Rigby is a former chairman of the PLP.

“Rigby can’t be serious,” Mr Roberts said before bursting into hearty laughter when The Tribune contacted him yesterday. Asked if he was under the impression that the top post would be hotly contested, Mr Roberts responded: “Not if Mr Rigby is offering himself.”

He said time would tell if the party and Bahamians were truly ready for new and “fresh” leaders, as Mr Rigby has suggested.

On Monday while appearing as a guest on Star FM show, Jeffrey, with host Jeff Lloyd, Mr Rigby said he was putting his name “on the list” because the Bahamian people wanted new blood and fresh leadership.

When asked by the show’s host if he had consulted his family about this, Mr Rigby answered: “My children who are listening ... know that I am putting my name on the list because I have decided that my responsibility to them and to other young children like them is to work hard to ensure that I do my part in making the Bahamas a better place for them and their children and their grandchildren. I am putting my name on the list.”

During his appearance on the show, Mr Rigby discussed the PLP’s chances of winning the next election and the need for “fresh blood” within the party.

He stressed that the party has to begin the transition to new leadership sooner than later and must court young voters if it wants to hold onto power.

“We can’t be talking about building a bridge to the future for the next 20 years,” Mr Rigby said. “The bridge ought to have been built, got to be ready to be walked on, ran on and travelled on and we have to ensure that we are ready to position the party for the new kind of Bahamian that is upon us.”

He added: “There are a group of leaders in our party, and I say leaders in a broad sense, who do not get what the new Bahamas is about. Who don’t understand the degree of suffering and hopelessness that so many are feeling out there, who don’t recognise the level of despair that people are feeling. They are out of depth.”

West Grand Bahama MP Obie Wilchcombe, who in June revealed his ambition to lead the PLP, yesterday declined comment on Mr Rigby’s bid to contest the party’s leadership.

Mr Wilchcombe has said that his decision on his political ambitions would depend on whether current party leader, Prime Minister Perry Christie offers himself for election.

The party’s convention is slated for the first week in November.

Comments

countryfirst says...

Mr. Roberts doesn't want any new leadership because he is part of the old corrupt geriatric crew.

Posted 2 September 2015, 2:07 p.m. Suggest removal

jackbnimble says...

I have never seen a party so deluded. I say they don't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning the next election with any of the present crew. Rigby's talents are being wasted here.

Posted 2 September 2015, 2:13 p.m. Suggest removal

Sickened says...

You would be surprised to hear that 48% of the voting public are so ignorant that they will vote PLP no matter what the PLP do or who is they run.
I bet you, if the PLP made up a fictitious name and put it on a ballot under the PLP banner, that person would win (in certain areas).

Posted 2 September 2015, 2:23 p.m. Suggest removal

Greentea says...

I am troubled by your words in "certain areas". Would you please clarify what you mean by that? Where are these certain areas? Seems like the majority of constituencies in the country have voted for both parties at some point in the past 3-4 election cycles.

Posted 2 September 2015, 8:03 p.m. Suggest removal

MonkeeDoo says...

Sickened: No doubt about that. That is the Bahamas main problem.

Posted 2 September 2015, 3:22 p.m. Suggest removal

Greentea says...

unfortunately, there are always new greasers to take their place

Posted 2 September 2015, 8:06 p.m. Suggest removal

Well_mudda_take_sic says...

And Minnis wants to stay at the front of the line of the next "all for me baby" greedy lot of politicians......but the majority of Bahamians who will be voting in the next general election are wise to Minnis and his ways.....so the FNM are going to be most sorely disappointed!

Posted 2 September 2015, 9:08 p.m. Suggest removal

truetruebahamian says...

Roberts is a sickening old myopic hate filled luddite and an embarrassment to himself, his party, my party and the Bahamian people. he should either curl up and die or retire as an singularly regressive product of his own ineptitude.

Posted 2 September 2015, 3:48 p.m. Suggest removal

EasternGate says...

This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.

Posted 2 September 2015, 6:11 p.m.

Baha10 says...

Wow, so much for encouraging Young Blood with fresh ideas as to how to solve our problems and develop our Country ... and Rigby is hardly young at what must be either 50 or close to it! Wonder what Pindling thought at half that age!!!

Posted 2 September 2015, 8:36 p.m. Suggest removal

Wideawake says...

Big Bad Brad personifies all that is wrong with today's PLP and all that is wrong with Bahamian politics!!

Posted 2 September 2015, 9:01 p.m. Suggest removal

a2z says...

And Roberts is exactly what is wrong with the PLP! Why on earth would Rigby even bother with this party? He done see how that turned out for Rollins and Moss.

Posted 2 September 2015, 10:21 p.m. Suggest removal

Sickened says...

The sanity and ethics of anyone joining or voting for the PLP must be questioned. I wonder if all PLP's have tattoos and 'throw up' special gang signs?

Posted 3 September 2015, 10:52 a.m. Suggest removal

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