The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

CENTRAL Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant was adamant yesterday that he was not pressured to step down from the post of Leader of Opposition Business and the Free National Movement’s shadow Works Minister, saying his decision was completely “of my own accord”.

Mr Grant, the day after he resigned at Parliament, spoke to The Tribune and rejected reports that he was ordered to leave both posts by executives of the FNM to ensure they were vacant to be placed on the table for future negotiations. “There was absolutely no pressure whatsoever. It was a decision that I made on my own, off of my own accord,” Mr Grant told The Tribune yesterday.

Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner on Tuesday confirmed to this newspaper that the post of Leader of Opposition Business along with several other things were offered to her after she and former running mate Dr Duane Sands dropped out of the party’s leadership race against Leader Dr Hubert Minnis and Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest hours before delegates were due to cast their ballots last Friday.

She was also offered a ratification for her constituency, a prominent role on the party’s general election campaign team and a senior Cabinet post should the party defeat the governing Progressive Liberal Party in 2017.

Meanwhile, Central and South Abaco MP Edison Key commended Mr Grant for resigning from both posts, suggesting that his recent actions had backfired giving him no choice but to step down.

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Mr Key said while he does not condemn the Members of Parliament that were open supporters of Mrs Butler-Turner, their public dissent of the leader was wrong. He said this created a “divided house”.

While Mr Key said he hoped the FNM can pick up the pieces, move on and focus all of its energy toward winning the next election, he told The Tribune that he didn’t see the party coming together entirely.

Mr Grant resigned from both posts on Wednesday during the morning session of the House of Assembly, pointing to relationship issues between himself and Dr Minnis.

He said recent events demonstrated that Dr Minnis was “uncomfortable” with him and “not satisfied” with his performance.

“I think Neko felt obligated to follow up what he did with his resignation,” Mr Key said. “The way he been conducting himself he made it clear that his support was to Loretta and after that didn’t go through the way they wanted, I guess he felt his service or contributions weren’t needed anymore.

“I think he did the right thing and I think he is justified.

“I don’t want to condemn those persons who supported Loretta. Maybe a few of them might decide to come together and join Dr Minnis, but I don’t see that clearing up in the near future. I don’t see the party coming together because people’s minds are made up.”

He continued: “They are not my enemies and I have nothing against them, except that I felt it was the wrong thing to do in what they did because a house divided is a house that will fall.”

Mr Grant is the longest serving member of the FNM, having first been elected under the party in 1992.

In June, the Central Grand Bahama MP blasted Dr Minnis in an email over his performance in Parliament during the wrap up of the 2016/2017 budget debate. The Tribune exclusively obtained the scathing email, in which Mr Grant lambasted Dr Minnis criticising him over “abandoning ship” at 2.30am, leaving MPs to finish the work of the House and insisting that the Killarney MP seemed to be ill prepared for the session. 

Earlier in April, The Tribune reported that Mr Grant was among those in the FNM’s parliamentary team who had threatened to petition Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling to remove Dr Minnis as leader of the Official Opposition unless an earlier convention date was set.

This included St Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman, Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn, North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly, Mr Grant, Mrs Butler-Turner and Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins.