‘We feel no shame in having lost’- GFF presidential candidate Franklin Wilson

Franklin Wilson said he accepts the result of Saturday’s election, which the incumbent Wayne Forde won to secure a third consecutive term.

Forde won 14-8 in a two-way battle at the GFF’s Extraordinary Congress at the National Training Centre at Providence, East Bank Demerara.

“We feel no shame in having lost,” Wilson said in a press statement on Sunday, pledging his slate’s “continued allegiance to the development of Guyana’s football.”

Notably, at a press conference after being elected, Forde announced that he will invite Wilson and members of his slate in 21 days to have “a heart-to-heart discussion” on how they can be integrated into the future development of football.

Franklin Wilson (second left) and some members of his slate after presenting their list of candidates at the GFF office.
From right are Vernon Burnett, Althea Scipio and Ramesh Persaud. (Photo: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/November 8, 2023)

See below the full statement issued by Wilson

It was not the result that I nor the members of the slate expected because certain members had assured us about their vote, especially since these members were the ones who complained about the GFF administration.

The narrative bandied around by the incumbent that ours’ was a PPP slate was false and very skillfully initiated to mislead the football fraternity.

Our slate was not about race or partisan party politics, instead we planned to demonstrate to the Government and Corporate Guyana a plan to develop football from school, clubs, right up to international football as our manifesto states.

No part of our plan was for the Government to take over football, but instead create a tripartite approach with the GFF, Government, and Corporate Guyana to take the game forward.

Our approach to football for all was genuine but ambitious.

We feel no shame in having lost and we accept the election result and pledge our continued allegiance to the development of Guyana’s football.

We congratulate Mr. Wayne Forde and his slate and hope that none of the members who supported our slate become the targets of any witch-hunt.

The biggest hero in this election process has been FIFA, in the way they stepped in and restored the voting rights of members when the GFF Secretariat sought to illegally debar them from voting.

FIFA’s efforts give tremendous hope to the democratic process and their vigilance we appreciate and applaud.

……………………

EDITOR’s NOTE:

Forde’s slate comprised Brigadier (Ret’d) Bruce Lovell, Rawlston Adams, Dion Inniss, Andrea Johnson, Denneze Lovell, Alden Marslowe, Magzene Stewart and Rayan Farias.

Wilson’s slate comprised Vernon Burnett, Ramesh Persaud, Gregory Wickham, George Clementson, Christine Schmidt, Althea Scipio, Raul Jerrick and Otis James.