EXCLUSIVE: ‘He Must Go’ – FNM Insiders Reveal Pressure on Pintard to Demand Dames’ Resignation

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – In a stunning display of internal party conflict, The Bahamas Herald has learned that Opposition Leader Michael Pintard is facing intense pressure from within his own Free National Movement (FNM) to force out one of his own members – former Minister of National Security Marvin Dames – following revelations linking a vessel owned by Dames’ charter company to a major U.S. drug bust.

Mr. Pintard, who leads the FNM, has now privately called for Mr. Dames – a fellow party member seeking the FNM’s nomination for the Mount Moriah constituency – to step aside from public life entirely. But senior FNM insiders have revealed to this newspaper that the decision followed urgent and uncomfortable consultations with party elders who insisted that Dames cannot remain connected to the party in any capacity.

According to a well-placed source within the FNM’s inner circle, the sentiment was unanimous but deeply painful: removing a fellow party member from the political arena was the only option.

“Michael was left with no choice, and it was not an easy position to be in,” the source told The Bahamas Herald on condition of strict anonymity. “This is his own party member. These are people he has worked alongside. But the news broke, and within hours, our phones were ringing off the hook. Party stalwarts, constituency leaders, and ordinary Bahamians were all saying the same thing: ‘He cannot represent us. This is too much. He must go.'”

The source detailed that the concern was twofold: the severity of the allegations themselves, and the devastating political optics of having a former National Security Minister from their own ranks linked to a drug trafficking operation.

“You have a former Minister of National Security, a senior figure in our party, a man who was the face of the country’s fight against crime and drugs, now linked through his own property to a confessed drug trafficker,” the insider explained. “And he wants to carry the FNM banner into Parliament? The hypocrisy is staggering. Our members feel that if we don’t take a principled and immediate stand against one of our own, we have no moral authority to criticize anyone else on crime or integrity. The push for him to step aside was overwhelming.”

Another FNM strategist, who also requested anonymity to speak freely, confirmed that the party’s leadership is acutely aware of the political damage the controversy could inflict, particularly with a general election approaching. The fact that Dames is a member of their own party makes the situation even more delicate.

“This is not about attacking the other side. This is about cleaning our own house,” the strategist said. “We are trying to build a platform based on accountability and good governance. How can we do that while one of our own candidates, a former National Security Minister with this cloud hanging over him, is allowed to simply brush it aside? Michael Pintard understands that the public is watching. The message from our base was crystal clear: show leadership, demand accountability, and protect the party’s integrity – even if it means turning on one of our own.”

The revelation of internal party pressure adds a significant layer of context to Mr. Pintard’s forceful public statement. His demand for Mr. Dames’ resignation from public life is now seen not just as a political move, but as a crucial and painful step to protect his own party from electoral damage and project an image of uncompromising integrity.

“He had to do it. For the sake of the party and for the country, he had to tell his own member that he cannot continue,” the first FNM insider concluded. “The former Minister of National Security cannot remain connected to the FNM with a direct link to a vessel used in a drug bust. The questions are too serious, and the answers are nowhere to be found. If he truly cares about the party, he will step aside quietly.”

Mr. Dames has not yet responded to the renewed calls for him to withdraw. When contacted, he maintained his previous position that he intends to continue his bid for the Mount Moriah seat despite the controversy, creating a deepening rift within the FNM as the election approaches.