Dr. Hubert Minnis, Loretta Butler-Turner and Dr. Andre Rollins.

After dumbing down the Free National Movement (FNM), alienating those who have serious issues with his leadership and failing repeatedly to demonstrate he is ready for prime time, FNM Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis is facing multiple daggers from members of the party's parliamentary caucus who have reached their limit in stomaching the embarrassment caused by his multiple missteps and stunning failure to lead even on the simplest matters.

The new effort to have him removed as leader of the opposition is the greatest test of his leadership to date; it threatens to split an already deeply divided and critically wounded party that has been unable to find its shine, four years after the last general election.

While many of his ardent devotees remain in a perpetual state of denial, Minnis' inept and lackluster performance is, with each passing day, severely crippling the party's chances of victory at the polls, notwithstanding the disastrous performance of Perry Christie and the PLP over the last four years.

Minnis has been a dismal failure as leader of the FNM.

His strong support within the FNM council emboldens him, but it might in the long run prove to be to the FNM's detriment.

Although he still commands strong support within party circles, Minnis lacks public appeal.  He is auditioning for the job of prime minister, but often comes across as someone running for president of a high school student council. He just does not have what it takes.

When he speaks, most often he reconfirms as much. What has unfathomably escaped the rabid supporters of Minnis is that by almost every metric he has not led effectively or transformatively.

From keeping his party together to leading a consequential tenure in Parliament as leader of the opposition, he has failed his party and the Bahamian people in his office.

His political judgment is debilitating and fatal.

One need only look at his selection of Lanisha Rolle to the Senate. Rolle turned out to be a poor choice, embarrassing herself, Minnis and her party at every turn. Her appointment came after Minnis booted Heather Hunt from the Senate. It was no secret that Hunt did not support Minnis for leader. He wanted her gone and he kicked her out.

Now Rolle is gone amid a cloud of controversy. She was Minnis' defender in chief. But in the end, he could not hold on to her. Her own missteps and political immaturity threatened to further divide the FNM.

Rolle's resignation came weeks after the resignation of Michael Pintard as FNM chairman and senator as a result of his involvement in the incredibly bizarre Louis Bacon-Peter Nygard murder-for-hire saga.

Minnis' admission in March that he had associated with Livingston "Toggie" Bullard weighed even more on his already tenuous leadership.

Bullard and Wisler "Bobo" Davilma were identified in court documents as "gang members" who allege Nygard, a hugely controversial fashion mogul, hired them to kill several members of the Save the Bays environmental group.

In Parliament, Minnis had blasted senior government officials for alleged association with the men. When it was revealed he too had contact, he told a laughable story about Bullard coming to his house to bring him fish, and to ask him to warn Pintard that he was about to be set up.

Pintard later poked holes in the story, claiming Minnis' timeline of events was off.

Minnis' judgment has been questioned in other respects as well.

While holding off on the ratification of the current MPs as candidates in the next general election, he has overseen the selection of a collectively uninspiring slate of candidates, more proof that he is beyond his depth.

Minnis tried to clean up the spill caused by the Rolle and Pintard controversies by appointing Monique Gomez, who heads the FNM Women's Association, and Dr. Duane Sands, to the Senate.

Both of them are not known to have been strong supporters of Minnis' leadership.

Minnis by all accounts has useful organizational skills. Where he has fallen short is leadership and competence.

If the FNM keeps Minnis as its leader, the party would be desperately betting on a default election where the Bahamian people choose the lesser of two evils.

Most members of the FNM's House of Assembly team agree. They see Minnis as too big a gamble in an election where the FNM should have a clear path to victory. They are often left holding their heads in sheer embarrassment as they watch him feebly try to do battle with the PLP in Parliament.

The Official Opposition is often a laughing stock. Its leadership team is unappealing and lacking in vibrancy. They struggle to fire up the base and portray the party as an easy and attractive alternative to the hugely unpopular PLP.

The addition of attorney Sidney Collie as chairman has done nothing to improve the FNM's appeal.

While the opposition has in recent times depended on Fort Charlotte MP Dr. Andre Rollins to bring some vibrancy to the FNM's presence in the House, opposition MPs are disillusioned with Minnis and his weak leadership.

The party is in shambles.

The FNM has uncharacteristically lost its ability to correct itself and right its ship.

A party, which has been historically courageous, bold and resolute is now politically impotent.

At a time when our country needs inspirational, effective leadership more than ever, the FNM has its tank on empty.

Under Hubert Minnis, the FNM has become timid and has resigned itself to what is politically comfortable, not necessary.

Come 2017, the Bahamian people will be faced with the choice of an ineffective, long-serving leader in Perry Christie or an ineffective novice in Minnis.

What now?
Most of the FNM MPs want Minnis gone as their leader in the House.

The move to ask the governor general to have Minnis removed as leader of the opposition is being discussed again.

There is a letter written, and according to insiders, today is the deadline for Minnis to agree to a date for an early convention or face a vote of no confidence from the parliamentary team.

It is a move several of them also discussed last year.

But Minnis was able to save his political hide by out maneuvering the slunking MPs who, while threatening to do so, just did not pull the trigger in time.

Minnis convinced Rollins and Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells (former PLPs) to join the FNM.

What that meant is he had two more MPs who actually supported him. There was no longer a majority to go to the governor general.

While Minnis bought himself some time, he could not reverse deep rooted perceptions based on irrefutable realities and an inability to convey quality leadership traits.

Very quickly, Rollins too lost confidence in Minnis as leader.

And so, the FNM finds itself in a very bad place under Minnis' leadership.

If they continue to drift the way they have been, if they keep Minnis in place, he would likely lead them to the political gallows; they could almost guarantee for the FNM another five years in the political wilderness.

The names of six FNM MPs appear on a draft letter to the governor general -- Rollins, Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner, Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant, St. Anne's MP Hubert Chipman, Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn and North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly.

We are waiting to see what they will do next.

Last Thursday night, they issued the ultimatum to Minnis.

There is no word at this point that Minnis will agree to an early convention.

C. A. Smith, a senior FNM who strongly supports Minnis, said he (Smith) is not opposed to an early convention.

"The FNM is an organization that has rules and regulations," Smith noted.

"It is run by the party in convention. If there is sufficient cry for a convention, I say let's go to the people in an early convention and let's have the results. It's very, very simple.

"Going to convention, getting the will of the people, would be the thing I would support.

"It would be dead wrong, I think, for any group within the organization to want to take over without going to the convention."

Minnis might very well call the MPs' bluff and ride on his support in council. But what kind of party would the FNM be with the leader of the opposition not the leader of the party? And if there is an early convention, who could beat Minnis?

He trounced Butler-Turner at the last convention. If he wins once again at convention, would the MPs suddenly rally around him? In their hearts, they do not believe in his leadership.

Some angry Minnis supporters believe they should be thrown out of the FNM. But what would the FNM be without its MPs? A split FNM would be a critically weakened FNM, and so close to a general election. Even Maurice Moore, one of the FNM's founding fathers, has softened his tone on this score.

Back in November, Moore, in a stinging warning to those who oppose Minnis within the party, threatened expulsion. On Friday, he told National Review this is no longer his view. But he said now is the time for the FNMs to support the leadership.

"I would like for them now to close ranks," Moore said. "It's too late, it's too near a general election to have all these kinds of divisions and for what reason are you having the divisions?

"All those persons who are aspiring for leader, how do we know they'll be as good as Dr. Minnis is? We don't know that. It appears to me that they want to have somebody who they can push around and tell them what to do.

"...I would not at this time say kick them out of the party, no. They have to decide what it is they want. Do they want to change the government or do they have a stronger desire to change the leader of the party?

"Make your choice. If you really want to change the government then close ranks with the leader and go to battle and win back the country. If you are looking for your own personal empowerment and so on, well then I have no use for you."

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