Manning Allegedly Removed From PNM San Fernando East Group Chat As Internal Dispute Deepens
The internal dispute within the People’s National Movement’s San Fernando East constituency has escalated, with MP Brian Manning saying he was removed from a constituency group chat after a message he posted was deleted by constituency chairman Patricia Alexis.
Screenshots of the “SFE Constituency Group 2024” show a WhatsApp notification stating, “This message was deleted by admin Patricia Alexis,” beneath Manning’s name.
Another notification immediately below states: “Patricia Alexis removed Brian Manning.”
Manning has since publicly called on the PNM leadership to intervene, as tensions surrounding the management of the San Fernando East constituency executive move further into the public domain.
Guardian Media reported on Thursday that Manning said Alexis deleted his message before removing him from the group. Alexis was contacted by the newspaper for an explanation regarding the deletion, his removal and the allegations he subsequently raised, but no response had been received up to publication.
The development comes as Manning intensifies his calls for greater transparency, accountability and independent oversight within his constituency.
Manning Says Members Have Raised Concerns
In a statement issued Wednesday, Manning said that over several months, members of the San Fernando East constituency had raised what he described as troubling questions about governance within the constituency executive.
Manning said he formally brought those concerns to the PNM’s General Council but was dissatisfied with the manner in which they had been addressed.
According to the MP, members remain concerned that the issues have not been examined through a process they consider sufficiently independent and fair.
At the centre of Manning’s concerns is constituency chairman Patricia Alexis and the number of positions she holds within the PNM.
Manning identified Alexis as the party’s Assistant General Secretary, San Fernando East’s representative on the General Council and a member of the PNM’s Central Executive.
He argued that some constituency members believe the combination of those roles could create questions about impartiality when disputes originating within San Fernando East are elevated to the party’s national structures.
Manning has not accused Alexis of wrongdoing. Instead, he said the concerns require an independent process capable of giving members confidence in whatever conclusions are eventually reached.
Questions Raised Over Constituency Executive Election
The San Fernando East MP also raised concerns surrounding the conduct of a recent constituency executive election.
According to Manning, an unannounced vacancy was filled by an individual who was unfamiliar to many longstanding constituency members and who was allegedly connected to Alexis.
He presented the matter as another issue requiring examination rather than proof that misconduct occurred.
The dispute is not entirely new. Concerns involving Manning and the constituency organisation had already reached the PNM leadership earlier this year. In June, Guardian Media reported that the party leadership was expected to examine a letter from Manning raising concerns ahead of internal PNM elections.
Manning Raises CEPEP Contract Issue
Manning has also brought previous media reports involving Alexis and CEPEP contracts into the dispute.
He alleged that Alexis had received millions of dollars in CEPEP contracts from the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government while serving as chairman of the Rural Development Company.
Manning said constituents wanted to know the PNM leadership’s position on the matter.
Importantly, the MP expressly said he was making no accusation of guilt against Alexis or any other individual.
Instead, he maintained that the issues were being raised in good faith by party members and called for transparency, accountability and an independent process in which members could have confidence.
Manning Rejects Proposed Oversight Arrangement
Manning said he also requested that a committee appointed to verify party groups in San Fernando East include at least one independent member from outside the PNM’s Central Executive.
According to Manning, he offered Alexis the same opportunity to nominate an independent person.
That proposal was rejected, he said.
Manning said the General Council instead required his nominee to come from the Central Executive — a body on which Alexis herself serves as a senior officer.
The MP argued that such an arrangement could not provide the appearance of independence needed to restore confidence among constituency members.
He maintained that people closely connected to matters under examination should not be placed in a position where members could perceive them as influencing the process.
PNM Chairman Says Party Has Already Acted
The controversy has now drawn a response from PNM chairman Marvin Gonzales, who said the party leadership has already taken steps to deal with the dispute.
According to Gonzales, an investigative team was approved with terms of reference and subsequently met with both Manning and Alexis, as well as their witnesses.
He said the team submitted a comprehensive report containing findings and further recommendations to the leadership and General Council.
Gonzales said those findings were noted and recommendations were acted upon.
He added that the matter remains under consideration and is being handled in keeping with the party’s constitution, traditions and principles of natural justice, fairness and procedural propriety.
Gonzales said the PNM remained committed to working with Manning, Alexis and the San Fernando East constituency to resolve the outstanding issues.
Group Chat Removal Adds New Dimension
Manning’s removal from the constituency WhatsApp group now adds another dimension to a dispute already involving complaints to the party’s national leadership.
The screenshots provided appear to support Manning’s account that an administrator identified as Patricia Alexis deleted his message and subsequently removed him from the group.
However, the screenshots do not establish why the message was deleted or why Manning was removed. No motive should therefore be attributed to Alexis without further evidence or a response from her.
The incident is nevertheless significant because Manning is not simply an ordinary constituency member. He is the elected MP for San Fernando East, while Alexis heads the constituency executive.
Their relationship stretches back years. When Manning was selected as the PNM candidate for San Fernando East in 2020, Alexis, already constituency chairman, publicly announced his selection and said the executive looked forward to working with him.
Six years later, the relationship between the sitting MP and constituency chairman has developed into an increasingly public political dispute.
Manning has maintained that his decision to speak publicly is not an attack on the PNM or any individual, but an attempt to defend the integrity of the party and address declining confidence among members.
The PNM leadership, meanwhile, maintains that mechanisms have already been activated to investigate and address the concerns.
With Manning now publicly confirming his removal from the constituency group chat and demanding further intervention from the party leadership, the San Fernando East disagreement appears far from settled.
Whether the latest development leads to additional intervention from the PNM’s national leadership — or a direct public response from Alexis — remains to be seen.
