The race for leadership of the People’s National Movement (PNM) Tobago Council kicked into its final nomination phase on Friday, with two high-profile candidates launching distinctly different campaigns that have set the tone for the upcoming internal vote on April 26.
Kelvon Morris, a former minority leader of the Tobago House of Assembly, arrived to file his nomination papers accompanied by fanfare, drumming performances and cultural dancing, marking the official launch of his leadership bid under the unified “Team Unity” banner. Morris has put forward a full slate of 16 candidates contesting all available positions on the council executive, drawing a diverse group of participants that balances young and experienced politicians, male and female candidates, and representatives from both the Tobago East and Tobago West regions.
In comments after submitting his nomination, Morris framed his campaign as a push for long-overdue renewal and reunification of the PNM’s Tobago branch. “This is a moment for rebirth and renewal for our great party,” he said. “What we have built here is a coalition that reflects every corner of our political community, and our goal is to reunify the PNM and re-energize our movement ahead of upcoming elections.”
Morris enters the race with notable institutional backing: he has secured public endorsements from two former PNM Tobago Council leaders, Tracy Davidson-Celestine and Kelvin Charles, who previously served as Chief Secretary of Tobago. His slate includes other established political figures: Clarence Jacob, a former Settlements Secretary, is running for treasurer, while Petal Daniel-Benoit, a former minority councillor, has joined the ticket as a candidate for vice chairman.
Outlining his first policy priorities if elected, Morris identified unresolved financial obligations to party members from the last election cycle as his top issue. “Finances were extremely tight following the last election, and we owe outstanding payments to many of our members who stepped forward to run,” he explained. “That will be my number one priority if I take office, and we already have plans in place to resolve that issue. Beyond that, my core mission is unifying the party: every member has value, and every candidate who runs in this election has a place in our movement moving forward.”
Morris’s long-term vision is anchored in a strategic plan called the “People’s Roadmap to Victory,” a six-pillar framework designed to prepare the PNM for the 2030 Tobago House of Assembly and national general elections.
In a stark contrast to Morris’s high-energy campaign launch, former Tobago West Member of Parliament Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis filed her nomination for the leadership post without a full slate, fanfare, or public celebration, positioning her candidacy as a humble, member-focused alternative. Cudjoe-Lewis, who is running in her first internal election for a seat on the PNM Tobago Council executive, submitted her paperwork at the council’s uptown Scarborough office, emphasizing that unnecessary campaign spending would be irresponsible given the party’s current financial strain.
“I don’t see any need for extravagant fanfare right now. We owe money to a lot of people, and if I had campaign funds to spare, the first thing I would do is pay those outstanding debts,” she said. “This internal election is about having quiet, honest conversations with our members. You don’t need songs and dances to do that work.”
Cudjoe-Lewis chose to run for leader without a pre-assembled full slate, noting that some of her supporters are also backing Morris’s Team Unity. She framed this overlapping support as a strength of the process, arguing that the contest will ultimately produce stronger ideas for rebuilding the party regardless of who wins.
“After the votes are counted on April 26, we will all still be members of the PNM,” she said. “There are people in my camp who are also working with Kelvon, and that’s okay. This process is about bringing different ideas together to figure out how we rebuild our party.”
Cudjoe-Lewis pledged to run a clean, positive campaign with no personal attacks or mudslinging, focused on offering party members a credible, independent option for leadership. “I’m here to give PNMites a competent choice, and then it’s up to them to decide what direction they want to go,” she said. “I’m not someone who can be controlled or pushed around. To get the PNM back into office, we need to make hard decisions and take bold action, and I’m ready to do that work with every member of this party, no matter who they supported in this election.”
Following the close of nominations on Friday, the PNM released the final list of 17 candidates contesting executive positions on the Tobago Council on Saturday night.