As public anger simmers across Guyana over a high-profile land scandal involving President Irfaan Ali, the country’s largest opposition bloc, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) led by the People’s National Congress Reform, has moved to address growing accusations that it has offered a lackluster response to the controversy, pushing leadership for the probe to the smaller opposition party that first broke the story.
In public comments delivered Friday, two senior APNU parliamentarians, Dr. Dexter Todd and Sherod Duncan, acknowledged that widespread public outrage has erupted over the President’s acquisition of acreage for his private commercial farm, which has dominated national headlines in recent weeks. Dr. Todd argued that based on widespread conversations and discourse across Guyana’s social media platforms, the entire situation is unacceptable for most citizens. He added that the President has failed to answer dozens of outstanding questions about the deal, and called on Ali to step down temporarily to clear the way for a full, independent investigation into the transaction. “There is a very large segment of the population that is deeply outraged by what has unfolded here. I believe that includes nearly all Guyanese,” Todd stated.
Duncan expanded on the criticism, noting that while ordinary Guyanese citizens often wait 15 years or longer to secure a small plot of residential or agricultural land, the President moved ahead to acquire the large holding, which he has developed into a working farm for poultry, livestock, and high-value commercial crops. Duncan emphasized that the public anger over the issue is not manufactured by opposition parties, noting “We don’t have to stir up any kind of feeling or anger in people. It just comes naturally to the fore.”
Despite that sharp criticism, Duncan sought to deflect pressure for APNU to lead a robust campaign on the issue, pointing out that the smaller opposition party We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) was the first group to bring the allegations to public attention. As the largest opposition party represented in Guyana’s parliament, WIN has taken the lead on the issue, Duncan said, and APNU intends to let WIN set the initial pace for a full, comprehensive response. “It is WIN that raised this issue and we’d love to see them continue on this one,” he said, while adding that APNU retains its own set of political tools that it is willing to deploy to secure the full transparency the public demands.
President Ali has pushed back against the most severe allegations, disputing opposition claims by WIN leader Azruddin Mohamed that the farm, located near Long Creek along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, spans 150 acres. Ali has confirmed the holding is less than 75 acres, but has declined to provide an exact measurement. He has also stated that any profits generated by the farm are being reinvested back into the agricultural project, and has denied abusing his office to secure special treatment for the development.
Records show Ali obtained an undisclosed loan through the domestic banking system to develop the farm, and that he has submitted all required asset disclosures to Guyana’s Integrity Commission, as required by law. To date, however, he has rejected repeated calls to release full, detailed public information about the land acquisition and farm operations.
Dr. Todd rejected claims that APNU has limited its response to mere rhetoric, noting that within days of the scandal breaking, the bloc convened its 12-member parliamentary caucus to map out a legislative and political strategy for action in the National Assembly. He explained that APNU’s parliamentary leader Dr. Terrence Campbell has proposed a sweeping review of the Integrity Commission’s disclosure powers, and that the bloc is currently drafting new legislation to address gaps in existing law that enabled this controversy and to target systemic corruption across government. “You must not expect that it’s just cheap talk. We are prepared to mobilize. We are prepared to coordinate with all Guyanese and we are prepared to put this government under more pressure,” Todd said, while acknowledging that the approach requires careful organization, strategic planning, and intentional timing. The bloc intends to expand the scope of its campaign beyond the President’s land deal to tackle broader corruption issues across the administration.
Todd added that APNU expects the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPPC) to ignore its demand for Ali’s temporary resignation, so the bloc plans to next engage the international community and rally allied stakeholders to support its call for a full investigation. He argued that an independent probe is non-negotiable because the President himself holds ultimate oversight responsibility for Guyana’s lands portfolio and signs off on all major land leases. “You can’t have a thorough investigation by the same President who has the same powers and oversees largely and is responsible for Lands and Survey,” he said. Under Guyana’s constitution, the President is granted legal immunity from criminal and civil court action during their time in office, and retains that protection after leaving office.
Pressed on widespread public sentiment that street protests are needed to respond to the scandal, and that APNU has been uncharacteristically muted on the issue, Todd argued that public frustration actually points to a broader recognition of political dynamics. He noted that many people are also asking why WIN, the party that broke the story, has not organized street action. Echoing long-held positions from APNU leader Aubrey Norton, Todd pushed back on the idea that protests only count if they are held on public streets. “our protests- I think we have learnt this more in-depth from good leadership…And we have recognised that protesting is not only at the level of the streets,” he said.
