DNA Seeks to Protect Komolafe After Infighting. Just a PR Stunt?

Executive members of the Democratic National Alliance scrambled on Monday to contain the fallout from reports that a physical altercation occurred at its latest internal meeting.

In a series of social media posts, the party members sought to quiet the tensions and praise Komolafe’s leadership as it seeks to defend the DNA’s run for the next General Election.

President of the DNA’s Women’s Alliance, Marsha Thompson said, “It is disappointing to see those persons going out there and trying to bring down our leader, a leader who would have embraced them, a leader who went beyond the call of duty in trying to encourage them… I know within my heart, that God has called this leader for such a time as this,” she said.

The party’s Vice Chairman Jeffery Deleveaux said conflict within political parties should be expected.

“…as with any party, you will have expressions of pain, hurt [and] resentment, but we also have love, understanding, and unity. The DNA party stands committed in unity behind the capable leadership of Mrs. Komolafe….

“…The party is still a young party. Growing pains [are] inevitable,” he said.

The party’s newly elected Deputy Leader Stephen Nesbitt who took the post after Buscheme Armbrister stepped down for ‘personal reasons’ stated, “ I would like to endorse Mrs. Arinthia Komolafe as the next prime minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. She will make the Bahamian people proud. She will be the envy of the region, and ultimately, the envy of this world.

“I have seen under her leadership, the party grow from strength to strength.”

What happened

A former lawyer and advisor to the party Fayne Thompson and DNA’s candidate for Garden Hills Boyd Smith appeared on Beyond the Headlines hosted by Clint Watson on Friday evening, to tell their side of the story after the alleged physical assault was made public.

Both men stated that they were grieved with the party’s electoral process that saw the election of Nesbitt and Derek Smith as deputy leader and chairman, respectively.

Smith said, “There were major issues with the election process. It was not transparent and in violations of the resolutions passed in a meeting on July 1^st. I wanted to bring that to the essential body and that was struck to be addressed.”

Thompson said he defended Smith’s position and was subsequently attacked by the party’s Communication Director Dietrich Carroll, “who literally, physically drove me into the wall because that was his means by which he displayed his displeasure taking issue in which the meeting was going on.”

Thompson said he then told Komolafe, “Control this body.”

Smith said he began recording the physical assault with his cell phone and was asked to stop by Komolafe’s husband, Emmanuel.

Mrs Komolafe then asked for his phone which he resisted. Smith said she took it out of his pocket and threw it to the ground, destroying the device.

“I tried to escape away from her in the corner where I was by the podium. Mrs Komolafe’s right hand, Armbrister charged toward me and pushed me into a chair. I got up and was protected by the security officer in the room.

“I really believe I was not going to survive if folks weren’t there to protect me,” Smith said.