‘I have evidence of what I submitted as opposed to what Mingo declared’ – Fmr. PNC/R Campaign Manager

In what is seen as a first admission from within the A Partnership for National Unity /Alliance For Change camp, former Campaign/Operations Manager for the APNU/AFC at the 2020 General and Regional Elections, Sameul Sandy, has revealed that the party had evidence to show that it did not win those elections.

To this day, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)-led APNU/AFC Opposition continues to maintain the victory five years ago at the March 2, 2020, elections. In fact, PNCR Leader and Chairman of APNU, Aubrey Norton, who is also the Opposition Leader, has even claimed that they are in possession of the ‘winning’ Statements of Polls (SoPs).

But according to Sandy, who served as APNU/AFC’s Campaign Manager-Operations for the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) district during the 2020 polls, not only does he have evidence to prove that the former coalition government lost the 2020 elections, but he had long since provided this evidence to the party.

“In 2020, the APNU/AFC lost the election. I was the operations manager for the East Coast campaign. I was responsible for collecting all SOPs. And I did take it upon myself to record the scores of every SOP received. I took pictures. I kept them. I still have them. I went to the Ashmin’s Building. I listened to the numbers being tabulated. I looked at my numbers and thought to myself, where might this be going?”

Sandy contended that the party was fully aware it had lost the elections.

He further challenged anyone to dispute his statements, declaring, “I have dated photo evidence of what I submitted as opposed to what [former Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont] Mingo declared.”

Mingo, who was employed by the Guyana Elections Officer (GECOM) for District Four – Guyana’s largest voting region, had declared inflated figures in a blatant bid to rig the elections in favour of the then APNU/AFC regime – something which was unearthed during a national recount exercise that was monitored by the international community. A subsequent Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into events that followed the March 2 polling day also reaffirmed the rigging attempts.

The former RO is currently facing electoral fraud charges along with several other senior GECOM officials, as well as party activists.

According to Sandy, who has recently resigned from the PNC/R, he was afraid to speak up at the time, noting that he had to choose between doing the right thing or going along with the charade. He stated that, in addition to his youth and inexperience with senior leadership, other factors that forced him to stay quiet included the fact that he lived in Golden Grove – a PNC/R stronghold.

“I think at that point it was more making a decision between supporting hope of our large section of society and that of personal integrity. I chose the former. And I challenge anyone to tell me different, because like I said, I have dated, photo evidence of what I submitted, as opposed to what Mingo declared.”

“I live in Golden Grove, a stronghold pf the PNC. How can I go home and say hey, I just informed them of the numbers declared, weren’t the actual numbers I shared with the party. I have always been (scared to speak out). But I’ve made peace with myself and I can say that now. So, it doesn’t matter where it goes,” Sandy added.