In a stunning electoral triumph, the Tobago People’s Party (TPP) under the leadership of Farley Augustine has secured a comprehensive victory in the Tobago House of Assembly elections held on January 12. The party captured all 15 available seats, demonstrating overwhelming voter support with 60.8% of the total valid votes cast across the island.
The TPP’s decisive win included a narrow but significant victory in the Darrel Spring/Whim constituency, where they unseated the sole PNM representative Kelvon Morris by a mere 17-vote margin. According to official figures released by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), the TPP accumulated 16,240 votes compared to the PNM’s 10,456 votes.
This electoral performance marks a substantial improvement from the party’s 55% showing in the 2025 general election and even surpasses the 58% achieved by the Progressive Democratic Patriots in the December 2021 THA elections. Augustine, who previously served as THA chief secretary under the PDP government, formed the TPP after departing from the PDP.
Despite the overwhelming victory, the EBC report revealed concerning voter participation trends. The voter turnout reached a concerning low of 50.69% from an electorate of 53,239 registered voters—the poorest participation rate since 2017 and significantly below the record 56.97% turnout recorded in the December 2021 elections.
Minor parties including the Innovative Democratic Alliance led by Dr. Denise Tsoiafatt Angus garnered 181 votes, while the Unity of the People party, which fielded only leader Nickocy Phillips as a candidate, received just eight votes.
The PNM has formally requested recounts in two constituencies—Darrel Spring/Whim and Scarborough/Mt Grace—with the EBC scheduling these recounts to commence at 3 pm on January 13. The commission emphasized that all results remain preliminary pending the completion of these recounts.