An internal leadership election held by the St Philip’s South Constituency Branch of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) has delivered a decisive outcome, with Adrian Richardson claiming the position of branch chairman in a landslide win over his competitor. Held on Wednesday, the election was not limited to the top leadership post: party members turned out to cast ballots for six full executive branch positions, ranging from chairman and vice chairman to secretary, treasurer, women’s development officer and youth development officer.
In the race for chairman, Richardson outpaced former branch vice chairman Linda Josiah by a wide margin, securing 34 votes to Josiah’s 10. Following the confirmation of the final results, ABLP General Secretary Senator Shenella Govia extended official congratulations to Richardson on his electoral win. Govia shared that the party is eager to collaborate with Richardson in his new role, and looks forward to productive working relationship moving forward.
For his part, Richardson expressed surprise and gratitude at the scale of his victory, describing the outcome as a humbling show of support from party members. In his first public remarks after the win, he made a public pledge to prioritize the branch’s interests and commit his full effort to serving members throughout his tenure. He also issued a call for unity across all faction of the constituency branch, emphasizing that collective collaboration is key to advancing the party’s goals in the region. To guide his decision-making as he takes office, Richardson added that he will seek spiritual guidance throughout his term.