The Tribune

11.20pm: That brings an end to tonight's live FNM Convention coverage. It was a night that saw party leader Dr Hubert Minnis make a plea for unity before breaking from his speech to dance with leadership challenger Loretta Butler-Turner. We'll be back here tomorrow with more live updates – don't miss Thursday's Tribune for all the news and reaction from the convention floor.

11.05pm: After that totally unexpected moment, Dr Minnis returns to the podium to end his speech, saying “Let's leave these halls tonight as one party.”

11.00pm: The FNM leader again calls for unity, saying: “No other political party can defeat us if we are together . . . Divided we fall but we will stand strong together!”

And now, incredibly, Loretta Butler-Turner has joined Dr Minnis on the stage and they are dancing together to Bob Marley. Dr Duane Sands and Peter Turnquest join them.

10.55pm: Dr Minnis says under the leadership of Perry Christie, the country is completely out-of-control and, come election day, “they are going to be out of business, out of luck, out of time and out the door”

He continues: “Our clear focus must be on bringing relief and uplifting the poor, the indigent, and those who are less able to take care of themselves. We can and we will win a place of dignity in the life of each child. We can and we will rescue the declining middle class. We can and we will win a Bahamas where Bahamian traditions, creative industries, and Bahamian entrepreneurship become powerful economy boosting energies.”

10.50pm: Dr Minnis is now talking about his own experience with crime and calls for a better mortgage protection bill.

Addressing the inner city and the poor he says: “Help is on its way”.

He adds: “I am sick and tired of the thousands of the indigent, the working poor, and pensioners having to pay VAT on prescription drugs, VAT on health and medical supplies VAT on medical insurance, VAT on electric bills, VAT on water bills and on basic bread basket items. The Bahamas is better than this. The FNM can and will do better”.

10.40pm: The FNM leader says: “As I travel through the length and breadth of our Bahamaland, the constant cry is 'we have to ride ourselves of this monster called the PLP'.

“Our detractors are betting that on Friday we will end up as a fractured party. But the devil is a liar . . . there will be no fracture. There will be no crack . . . there will only be a strong Free National Movement.

Dr Minnis goes on: “On Friday night, should I and when I emerge as leader we must all put aside animosity and do what is best for the people of the Bahamas. Friday must a time of healing and forgiveness. We must commence our journey of taking back the government and rescuing the people from this nightmare.”

10.30pm: Dr Minnis wipes the sweat from his brow after another bout of dancing. He says “FNMs, Perry Christie and the PLP has got to go. I can't take another five years of this lazy, corrupt, incompetent, arrogant and good for nothing PLP government and neither should you. They've been the worst government in the history of the Bahamas.

“The only winning formula is unity. If we are unified, no one can defeat us.”

10.27pm: Now Dr Minnis is showing off his dance moves to “Hit the Road Jack”. A challenge to the Perry Shuffle? The crowd seem to be enjoying it.

10.25pm: The FNM leader says: “The road to the convention has been long, it has been rough and it has been tough. We have been ambushed, bruised and battered. We have been lied to and lied upon. The enemy has used every weapon in their arsenal . . . to discredit the FNM and to destroy our great party . . . by the grace of God we are still here.”

10.15pm: Mr Minnis says “The FNM has known struggle, has known challenges and overcome them all.”

He says “We are determined as a tiger on the hunt to unite our great party under one leadership”.

He asks those in attendance: “Are you ready to fire the PLP, are you ready for a new government, are you ready for a new Bahamas?”

10.10pm: It looks like there will be no Carl Bethel speech - FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis now takes the stage. Mr Minnis says he feels “so much love in the room tonight”.

9.55pm: Mr Grant is listing the FNM's achievements while in government with the refrain “all because you matter”.

9.50pm UPDATE: Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant is now giving his speech.

9.40pm UPDATE: Frederick McAlpine leaves the stage after delivering a speech which certainly seemed to get the crowd going.

9.35pm UPDATE: Mr McAlpine's speech is going down well with the FNMs in attendance. “Heal the party and serve the people,” he says.

9.30pm UPDATE: This video from Twitter shows the reaction to Dr Minnis' arrival earlier.

9.25pm UPDATE: A lively welcome for Pineridge candidate and former Senator Frederick McAlpine, the next speaker.

9.10pm UPDATE: The convention is now hearing from Monique Gomez, National President of the FNM Women's Association. She is describing what the party has done to bring gender equality.

8.55pm UPDATE: Dr Hubert Minnis has arrived at the convention to a welcoming reception.

8.45pm UPDATE: Shanendon Cartwright of the Torchbearers is now speaking.

8.35pm UPDATE: Ronique Brown brings the audience to their feet after ending her speech with “youth matters”.

8.30pm UPDATE: President of the Torchbearers Ronique Brown is on stage now. She is paying tribute to the FNM's last term in government.

8.10pm UPDATE: FNM Chairman Sidney Collie is the first speaker tonight.

7.50pm UPDATE: Loretta Butler-Turner has posted a statement on her Facebook page (see below), criticising the convention schedule and accusing Dr Hubert Minnis of trying to “silence her voice”.

7.10pm UPDATE: Scenes from the FNM Convention this afternoon. Tonight's programme gets underway at 8.00pm

4.10pm UPDATE: Current Deputy Peter Turnquest (nominated by Oswald Marshall and Stephanie Ferguson) and Dr Duane Sands (nominated by Kim Bodie and Hubert Chipman) have been nominated for the Deputy Leader post.

Michael Foulkes is now the FNM Secretary General after there were no challenges to his nomination.

Frank Watson nominated Loretta Butler-Turner for leader, with Theo Neilly seconding it.

The voting for these positions will take place on Friday.

4.00pm UPDATE: Former House Speaker Alvin Smith and current FNM Chairman Sidney Collie have been nominated for the role of party chairman.

3.50pm UPDATE: Dr Hubert Minnis has been nominated for the leadership of the party by James Mitchell Pinder to loud cheers and applause.

2.05pm UPDATE: FNM supporters are pictured putting the final touches to the setting for the FNM Convention at the Melià resort. Photo: Tim Clarke.

1.05pm UPDATE: HUNDREDS of delegates poured into the Melià resort Wednesday morning to accept their credentials for the Free National Movement’s three-day convention.

Party supporters have gathered to determine their leaders and to generate enthusiasm ahead of the next general election. Today members will nominate people for key positions, such as leader, deputy leader, chairman and deputy chairman. Delegates will vote for their preferred candidates on Friday.

They wore red shirts, some emblazoned with “Roc With Doc” and others that promoted Loretta Butler-Turner and Dr Duane Sands.

After the nomination process Wednesday afternoon, the convention's official ceremony will begin at 8pm.

1.00pm UPDATE: As anticipation builds for the FNM Convention, this picture (left) shows supporters of Dr Hubert Minnis arriving at the Lynden Pindling International Airport from the Family Islands wearing 'Roc wit Doc' tee-shirts.

Pictured (right) is the “battle bus” of Loretta Butler-Turner and Dr Duane Sands.

9.00am UPDATE: Ahead of the FNM Convention today, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has described the state of the party as “distressing”. You can read the full story HERE

Last night, Maurice Moore, regarded as one of the Free National Movement’s founding fathers, told a crowd at Arawak Cay to support party leader Dr Hubert Minnis or “get the hell out of the seats” they occupy in the House of Assembly. Full story HERE.