By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Deputy Chief Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
THE Free National Movement is expected, over the next several days, to finalise its decision to officially select talk show host Jeffery Lloyd as the party’s candidate for the St Anne’s constituency.
With Mr Lloyd on the party’s ticket, according to well-placed sources within the organisation, the party stands a better chance of securing the seat in the next general election, which is welcomed by party supporters.
However, when Mr Lloyd was contacted yesterday, he insisted that the party had yet to make him an official offer. Instead Mr Lloyd confirmed that as recently as this weekend, he continued talks with both the FNM and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA). Both organisations he said at some point had “aggressively” pursued him, although the latter took it a step further and placed a very attractive offer on the table.
This comes the day after St Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman announced that he has withdrawn his name from consideration for re-nomination in his constituency.
“I have always said two things,” Mr Lloyd told The Tribune. “One, I am under active consideration. I, Jeffery Lloyd, am under active consideration as to whether I should enter the political arena for front line politics in 2016/2017 as a candidate. That decision has not yet been finally made by me.
“Number two, I have been actively pursued, aggressively in some instances by both the Free National Movement and the Democratic National Alliance and to a much lesser degree and extent by the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).
“Now whether the DNA has me or the FNM has me or even the PLP has me under active consideration, I cannot at this moment say. You would have to ask them if that is so.
“I have met with all three of them, the DNA and the FNM repeatedly. That means many times and we have all discussed all kinds of various possibilities. I have also met with and have been courted by a group of individuals who sought to form an alternative, can’t say third party because you have about 20 of them third parties in the Bahamas now.”
He added: “I have been mentioned by and to a lesser extent been courted by this group that calls themselves the Gate Keepers and so from my vantage point I have not made a final decision as to whether I will enter the political arena as a candidate and two if I do, under what banner and associated with whom I may do so.”
Asked to confirm whether the FNM was considering him for the St Anne’s seat, Mr Lloyd said: “I have heard that too and nobody has said to me ‘Okay Jeffery I want to let you know that you are being considered for the St Anne’s constituency.’”
On Sunday, Mr Chipman said he has had differences with FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis. He also criticised Dr Minnis for not pushing the government hard enough on several issues including the work of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), of which the St Anne’s MP is the chairman.
“I maintained a constituency office from February 2012 to date and was available to meet with constituents at any time,” Mr Chipman said in his statement.
“In particular, regular office hours were held from 4 to 7pm every Thursday. Because of the good work we did together, the Constituency Association expressed their confidence in me by writing to FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis and the Candidates Committee on September 5, 2015. The letter was signed by all of the executives of the association. That was over a year ago.
“The association’s letter was never acknowledged. During the first week of March of this year, the executive of my association and myself met. We then met with the leader and the then Chairman Michael Pintard during the first week of March 2016. My candidacy was discussed at length.
“We were assured that I would be re-nominated. The association again wrote to the leader on September 21, 2016 referring to its earlier letter and our meeting. To date we have heard nothing, which I consider a tremendous sign of disrespect toward the association,” Mr Chipman said.
Comments
Honestman 7 years, 7 months ago
I hope this is true.
proudloudandfnm 7 years, 7 months ago
Oh. Lloyd would definitely vote no confidence in Minnis....
Minnis does not need strong men and women. He needs sheep, folks that would never vote no confidence against him. Lol....
justthefactsplease 7 years, 7 months ago
The selection of strong leaders like DeAquilar, Dames and Lloyd will lead to the downfall of Minnis. It might seem like a stroke of genius now but when his weakness as a leader starts showing its head they will simply replace him with one among them. Mark my words, Minnis WILL NOT serve one term as Prime Minister if the FNM wins...his dream team will become his nightmare. These men are NOT FNM's, they are just using the FNM to offer for national office.
Honestman 7 years, 7 months ago
I have no problem with that whatsoever.
licks2 7 years, 6 months ago
MAYBE THE FNMS WHO WERE OPPOSING DOC ARE JUST A BUNCHA CRY BABY LOSERS WHO THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE ENTITLED AND NO GHETTO-BOY WAS SUPPOSED TO "RULE" THEM. . .AND THOSE PERSONS. . .STRONG LEADERS. . .WHO HAVE COME INTO THEIR OWN. . .AND YES, NOT SPOILED FNMS AND DO SEE THE TALENT IN DOC HAVE CAST THEIR LOTS WITH HIM AND DO NOT GO AROUND WHINNING AND THINKING THAT THE FNM PARTY IS THEY THINGS!
Regardless 7 years, 7 months ago
,,,,,,,the Bahamian version of Brian Williams except without the looks or money but all of the self-delusion, erroneous facts and wanton desire for intellectual acceptance.
licks2 7 years, 6 months ago
Then you don't know Jeff Lloyd. . .I see!
TalRussell 7 years, 7 months ago
Red Party Leader Warnings: Before running Jeff, in St. Anne's and Dionisio’s, for Montagu…
Best the Red Party’s Leader, does drops them both off at that Government run Wanna-be’s Politicians Pest Germ Farm Station, out at Gladstone Road, to run their mouths through multiple ‘whilst-you-waits’ wash'em, scrub'em down, to try removing some their years as special interests spokesman’s bacteria's build-ups, that they’s been a breeding ground for all the kinds bacteria’s that no Red Shirts should ever want to voluntarily comes into close contact with.
I hear the Gladstone Road Germ Farm Station out-rightly and flatly refused Minnis' proposal to apply their process at sanitizing Montagu Richard's political mouth's germs?
TalRussell 7 years, 7 months ago
by TalRussell
Stapedius 7 years, 7 months ago
Expected. Everyone has a political lean. Nothing wrong with that. But it's annoying when people try to play impartial but really have an agenda.
banker 7 years, 7 months ago
I have an interesting observation about Jeff Lloyd that may go to character. Sure, he projects a quiet competence, and he is a cultured man with none of the unintelligent Bahamian patois in his speech and deportment.
I went to St. Francis catholic cathedral for the funeral of a prominent Bahamian. Jeff Lloyd is a deacon in the catholic church. Near the end of the funeral mass, the Archbishop invited those who were catholic to come up and partake of communion.
I was flabbergasted when buddy who was sitting beside me (a sort of minor infamous Bahamian character), pushed by me and went up to receive the host. This joker was a noted atheist and well-known vulgarian. He marches up bold as brass to Jeff, who is administering communion, winks at him, and holds out his hand for the host. Jeff knows the vulgarian because he has appeared on his show and everyone knows that he is at worst, a lecher, philanderer and business cheat and at best, a gross scallywag. Jeff smiles and hands him a host.
Now I een a catholic, but I know the rules. No partaking of catholic communion unless you are a professed papist. I simply couldn't believe Jeff would flout the rules of his faith, and that small incident shook my faith in Jeff. Doesn't anyone adhere to moral, ethical, and proscribed standards, rubrics, vows and laws anymore? If you take a vow to be a deacon of the church, you have to obey the rules. Like Diogenes of Sinope, is there not one honest man in the city who obeys the strictures and canons of the faith that he professes?
Greentea 7 years, 7 months ago
i understand what u saying banker but i have to tell you, i refuse to abide by those catholic rules and when i go into a catholic church i take communion because that is about Christ and my symbolic acceptance of the gospel not a church. besides this vulgarian might have just gotten saved. u know we Bahamians love a good redemption story.
asiseeit 7 years, 7 months ago
Seems not!
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