Slogans, Skunt, and Strategy: The Real Story of Guyana’s 2025 Election Race

In Guyana, we call it silly season. It’s that odd stretch of time when the air is thick with promises, posters bloom overnight on every fence and lantern post, and everyone with a smartphone is suddenly a political strategist. But behind the recycled slogans and roadside rallies lies a simple truth: this 2025 election may feel like theater, but the stakes are no joke.

There’s a clear underdog this time. And there’s a clear giant.

And that giant, the incumbent PPP/C; looks poised to not only win, but grow even more powerful in the aftermath.

Let’s call things what they are. Aubrey Norton, leading a divided and weakened APNU, is struggling to galvanize a fractured base. His leadership feels less like a vision and more like damage control. The party that once ignited deep loyalty across constituencies is now limping toward the ballot box, burdened by internal discontent, uninspired rhetoric, and a serious credibility gap. Norton isn’t the enemy of the PPP; he’s their best asset this season.

Meanwhile, the PPP/C has aligned with smaller political parties, a move that in past cycles would’ve been seen as unnecessary. But this year, it’s strategic; a show of dominance cloaked in inclusivity. It’s about optics. It’s about legacy. And it’s about sending a message: we’re not just winning; we’re uniting, expanding, consolidating.

And then there’s the whisper network. The not-so-subtle endorsements that don’t make headlines but speak volumes. The support of the founder of the LFS Burnham’s son-in-law for the incumbent isn’t just a family affair. It’s a quiet declaration of dynasty, of power that moves behind closed doors and across generations. In Guyana, that kind of alignment isn’t accidental; it’s designed.

And yet, despite all this momentum, the people will wait.

We always do. Election results in Guyana are never swift. If we’re lucky, we’ll have clarity by September 5th. But what we’ll get in the meantime is speculation, misinformation, late-night livestreams, and inevitably; public skunt. Expect noise. Expect GECOM scrutiny. Expect political posturing that will make the Parliament brawls of the past seem tame.

But what we must not do is let the theater distract us from the core truth: this isn’t just about who wins…it’s about what happens next.

Because if the PPP/C secures another landslide, they won’t just have a mandate. They’ll have momentum; the kind that shapes not just policies but power structures. And without a strong opposition to balance them, the consequences won’t just be political. They’ll be generational.

You have to give credit where it’s due. The PPP/C has played a masterful game this election season. From locking in alliances with smaller parties to subtly flexing dynastic connections, every move has been deliberate, precise, and calculated for long-term impact. They’ve taken the optics of unity and turned it into political leverage, absorbing fringe support not just for votes, but for the narrative: we are the inevitable center. While others scrambled for relevance, the PPP/C set the stage, directed the scene, and cast their rivals as minor roles in a play they’ve already written. It’s not just strategy; it’s a blueprint for dominance.

So yes, it’s silly season. But the outcome? Dead serious.