Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed says he intends to remain in Guyana and lead his party into the 2031 general elections, as he faced questions today about whether the WIN party has made contingency plans in the event that he is extradited to the United States to face charges.
The question was raised by Kiskadee Watch during a press conference, where Mohamed was asked whether the party had identified someone to take over its leadership if he were extradited.
In response, Mohamed did not identify a potential successor or outline any formal contingency arrangements. Instead, he insisted that he would remain in Guyana and expressed confidence that he would lead the party into the next general elections.
“By God’s grace I will be here. And come 2031, I will be president of this party,” Mohamed said.
He also suggested that his decision to enter politics had come at a personal cost, saying that he would have been living a comfortable life had he not announced his political ambitions.
“If I didn’t announce my candidacy on Independence Day 2025, I would have been living a comfortable life,” he said, while maintaining that he was being politically persecuted because he had chosen to listen to the concerns of the people.
Mohamed’s comments come amid ongoing extradition proceedings involving the United States, which he has characterised as politically motivated. He has also accused the Guyana Government of driving the proceedings.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the legal matter, Mohamed used the press conference to reaffirm his intention to remain at the helm of WIN and continue his political ambitions.
The extradition proceedings stem from a request by the United States for Azruddin Mohamed and his father, businessman Nazar Mohamed, to be surrendered to face criminal charges linked to their gold-trading business. The US indictment alleges offences including wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, relating to an alleged scheme involving taxes and royalties on gold exports. The allegations have not been determined at trial.
The men have challenged aspects of the extradition process, with their defence arguing that the proceedings are politically motivated. In July, the Caribbean Court of Justice dismissed their appeal against the validity of the Authority to Proceed issued by Guyana, allowing the extradition process to continue. The committal proceedings are being heard by Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Courts. The case was most recently adjourned to November 2, 2026.
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