The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), a major party within the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), has sharply condemned the arrest of businessman and political leader Mr. Azruddin Mohamed, describing it as a “dark reflection” of the ruling PPP/C Government’s “continuing pattern of authoritarian governance.”
Mohamed, who leads the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) political party, has recently emerged as a key opposition figure following the September 1 General and Regional Elections, in which his party secured 16 seats in the National Assembly, according to the official declaration of results by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Most of WIN’s supporters are believed to have defected from the PNCR/APNU, reshaping the opposition landscape and signaling shifting political allegiances within the country. The APNU, led by PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton, secured 12 seats in the same elections.
The 65-seat National Assembly is scheduled to convene on Monday, November 3, when Mr. Mohamed is expected to be sworn in as a Member of Parliament. He is widely anticipated to be elected Leader of the Opposition, given that WIN secured the most seats among opposition parties.
Mohamed and his father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, were both arrested Friday, October 31, 2025. They appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where they were each granted bail in the sum of $150,000 following an extradition hearing.
As part of their bail conditions, the court ordered both men to surrender their passports and to report to the Ruimveldt Police Station every Friday between 13:00 and 15:00 hrs, beginning November 7, 2025. The Mohameds are represented by Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde and Attorneys-at-Law Siand Dhurjon, Darren Wade, and Nigel Hughes.
In a press statement issued on Friday, the PNCR criticised the handling of Mr. Mohamed’s arrest, saying it demonstrated the PPP/C Government’s “blatant disregard for due process.”
“The recent arrest of Mr. Azruddin Mohamed is yet another dark reflection of the [People’s Progressive Party/Cvic]PPP/C’s continuing pattern of authoritarian governance and its blatant disregard for due process,” the statement read.
The PNCR noted that Mohamed had already signaled his readiness to cooperate with the authorities and questioned the motive behind what it described as a “public display of power.”
“The issue is not what was done, but how it was done. Mr. Mohamed was fully aware of what was pending and had already communicated his willingness to cooperate with the authorities. In fact, he had written to the Minister expressing his readiness to surrender himself once the proper extradition request was filed and the legal process was in place.
Yet, instead of allowing due process to take its course, the PPP/C Government chose to stage a public display of power. Surrounded by armed ranks and cameras, the arrest of a citizen who had offered full cooperation was a calculated act of intimidation, designed to send a political message rather than uphold the rule of law.”
The statement further accused the PPP/C of weaponising state institutions for political gain.
“This heavy-handed display is symptomatic of a regime desperate to prove its might, not its morality. The PPP/C has once again used state machinery as a political weapon, reducing law enforcement to instruments of fear rather than justice. When the rule of law becomes selective, when cooperation is met with coercion, and when the presumption of innocence is replaced with public humiliation, we cease to be a democracy; we become a dictatorship cloaked in procedure.”
Condemning the manner in which Mohamed was treated, the PNCR/APNU urged that justice and due process remain the guiding principles of governance.
“We, the PNCR/APNU, condemn in the strongest possible terms, the manner in which Mr. Mohamed was treated. Justice must never bow to politics, and due process must never be sacrificed for propaganda. The world is watching and today’s events have shown that under the PPP/C, the institutions of our nation are being used not to protect citizens, but to persecute them.
It is time for Guyana to reclaim the rule of law, not as a slogan, but as a standard,” the statement concluded.
Political observers have noted that the PNCR/APNU’s statement — in defense of a political rival — marks a mature and positive development for Guyana’s political landscape. Analysts say it reflects a growing recognition among opposition parties of the importance of unity on issues of due process, the rule of law, and citizens’ rights, regardless of who stands to gain.
