By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Free National Movement (FNM) vice chairman Richard Johnson has vowed to never again support the party under its current leadership, accusing it of mistreating and discarding loyal members who fought for the organisation.

Mr Johnson, who served as vice chairman from 2016 to 2018, said he was sidelined and ostracised after publicly criticising internal party decisions in what he described as the victimisation of long-standing members.

His relationship with the leadership had long been strained but worsened in 2022 when he sued the party’s executives after its council barred him from attending meetings.

Mr Johnson later dropped the legal action, saying it was too costly to continue.

“In the second term for what the leadership of the FNM has done to me, I will never, ever support the FNM under this leadership, and I would advise the public not to do so,” Mr Johnson said yesterday.

“If Dr Minnis could get treat bad, if Renward Wells could get treat bad, if Iram Lewis could get treat bad, if Richard Johnson could get treat bad, if Devin T Bannister could get treated bad and ostracised by the FNM, who are members of the FNM who fought for the FNM, if we could be discarded and disrespected, what you think will happen to you?”

Mr Johnson has been outspoken about what he sees as a pattern of disrespect within the party, accusing leadership of alienating some of its most committed members.

He has also criticised the party’s recent handling of constituency affairs, appointments, and candidate selections during recent election.

Despite his boycott of the FNM, Mr Johnson said he is backing Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) in the next general election.

“Now, those things could matter or not at the end of the day. I am a Bahamian citizen, I’m a voter, I have influence, I have family members, I have brothers and sisters, and so I’m prepared to support the Prime Minister,” he said. “The Prime Minister has sat down, we’ve talked, we’ve forgiven each other. It’s time for war, political war. We are in battle mode right now.”

Although Mr Johnson has shifted his loyalty to the PLP, he still supports Dr Hubert Minnis as the MP for Killarney.

“Well, Dr Minnis will have a very challenging time on his hands as the incumbent of Killarney. I believe he will be successful. I support him 1000 percent, he’s my man of business in Killarney, but however, I support the Progressive Liberal Party as the government of The Bahamas,” Mr Johnson said.