In a significant political development, Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) leader Watson Duke has elaborated on his party’s decision to abstain from the upcoming 2026 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections while endorsing the ruling Tobago People’s Party (TPP).
Duke articulated his strategic rationale through social media on December 28, framing the move as a calculated effort to permanently dismantle the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) political influence on the island. This follows his initial December 8 announcement that the PDP would not contest the January 12 election and would instead support Chief Secretary Farley Augustine’s TPP.
The PDP leader characterized this endorsement not as surrender but as a tactical maneuver to consolidate anti-PNM forces. He emphasized that a TPP victory would conclusively demonstrate that PNM has no viable future as a governing force in Tobago politics.
Duke provided historical context, noting that before PDP’s emergence in 2015, Tobago’s political landscape had been dominated by PNM for decades, with previous opposition parties like the Democratic Action Congress and National Alliance for Reconstruction being effectively erased from contention. The PDP’s stunning 14-1 victory against PNM in the December 2021 THA elections—described as the worst electoral defeat in PNM’s history from 1956 onward—broke this pattern of predictability.
Despite the PDP’s subsequent internal fracture that led to Augustine forming the TPP in August 2023, Duke maintains both parties share common roots in challenging PNM dominance. He now urges supporters to transcend past differences and personal grievances to achieve what he considers the greater objective: preventing PNM’s return to power.
Duke characterized PNM as an ‘outsider party’ that has historically prioritized national agendas over Tobago’s specific needs, treating the island ‘as an extension of national political priorities rather than a people with their own identity, needs, and future.’
Political analyst Dr. Bishnu Ragoonath has expressed skepticism about other parties’ ability to win seats, while Augustine has welcomed Duke’s support while explicitly ruling out any formal coalition or partnership. Public reaction to the announcement remains mixed across social media platforms.
The upcoming election will ultimately test whether Duke’s strategic withdrawal proves decisive in reshaping Tobago’s political destiny.