Nigel Hughes steps down as AFC leader following crushing elections defeat

Less than a month after the Alliance For Change (AFC) suffered a crushing defeat at the September 1 General and Regional Elections, party leader Nigel Hughes has tendered his resignation.
Party insiders confirmed the move, noting that Hughes submitted an undated letter of resignation in which he assumed full responsibility for the AFC’s poor showing at the polls. “Unfortunately, the results were beyond disappointing—the responsibility for which rests solely on my shoulder,” he wrote.
In the 2025 elections, the AFC secured only 3,610 votes across all 10 electoral districts, a dramatic collapse compared to its earlier performances. At its electoral debut in 2006, the party won five seats with 28,366 votes, and by 2011 it had increased its tally to seven seats with 35,333 votes. However, its support has dwindled significantly over the past decade, reflecting internal challenges and shifting voter loyalties.
Hughes, who was elected leader of the AFC on June 29, 2024, thanked the party for entrusting him with leadership during what he described as “difficult times.”
In his letter, he expressed optimism about the AFC’s future, despite his departure. “I believe the party has a great role to play in the development of this great country of ours, and I wish the Chair and the executive my best wishes and support on its forward trajectory,” he noted.
Although Hughes has requested that his resignation take immediate effect, sources within the party indicated that efforts are underway to persuade him to remain until a new leader is elected.
Hughes’ resignation marks another turning point in the AFC’s history. Once viewed as a rising third force in Guyanese politics, capable of disrupting the traditional dominance of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the People’s National Congress (PNC), the party now faces the challenge of redefining its identity and relevance in a rapidly changing political landscape.