Daquan Swain eyeing FNM nod in West GB and Bimini

Former Independent candidate Daquan Swain is said to be eyeing a Free National Movement (FNM) nomination in West Grand Bahama and Bimini in the next general election.

The Grand Bahama native is well-liked and respected in the community but failed to find his political footing in the 2023 by-election to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Obie Wilchchcombe as he did not have the backing of a major political party.

Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) candidate Kingsley Smith secured an overwhelming victory in the by-election, beating FNM candidate Ricardo Grant by nearly 900 votes.

Smith got 2,150 votes while Grant received 1,276 votes. Coalition of Independents (COI) candidate Lincoln Bain got 307 votes.

Swain, who ran as an independent candidate, received 28 votes and the second independent candidate, Terneille Burrows, got four votes.

However, members of the constituency believe that if Swain manages to get the FNM nomination, he stands a real chance of becoming the area’s next MP as incumbent Smith has largely vanished from the national spotlight since the by-election. Smith rarely gets media coverage, has made few debate contributions in the House of Assembly and has failed to make any real impact in his constituency.