If you were looking for a nail-biter like the 2020 recount saga that dragged on for five agonizing months, you didn't get it this time around. Guyana's 2025 general elections were a different beast entirely. Honestly, most of the noise lately has been about the "how" and the "who came second" rather than who actually took the top spot.
President Irfaan Ali and his People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won the 2025 Guyana election.
It wasn't just a win; it was a definitive mandate. By the time the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) finished the final tally on September 7, 2025, the map had turned significantly more red. The PPP/C secured 36 out of the 65 seats in the National Assembly. That's a three-seat bump from their 2020 performance, giving Ali a much more comfortable cushion to navigate the country’s explosive oil-driven growth.
The Numbers That Actually Matter
Let’s talk about the popular vote for a second. The PPP/C raked in 242,498 votes, which accounts for about 55.3% of the total. If you look at the 2020 stats, they were sitting at roughly 50.7%. That’s a nearly 5% swing in their favor. In a country where elections are usually won on razor-thin margins of a few thousand votes, this was a massive shift.
But the real shocker wasn't Ali's win—it was the total collapse of the traditional opposition.
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The Rise of the Dark Horse
You’ve probably heard the name Azruddin Mohamed. He’s the businessman who launched the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party just three months before the September 1st vote. Despite being under U.S. sanctions at the time, his populist "share the wealth" message caught fire.
WIN didn't just participate; they basically cannibalized the old guard. They finished in second place with 109,066 votes (about 25%). That's 16 seats in Parliament for a party that didn't exist when the year started.
The Fall of the APNU
Aubrey Norton’s A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) had a rough night. Actually, "rough" is an understatement. They fell to third place with only 77,998 votes, securing just 12 seats. Compare that to the 31 seats they held after the 2020 election. They lost their traditional strongholds in Region 4 and Region 10, which for decades were considered untouchable territory for the PNC-led coalition.
Why Did the Map Change?
People are still arguing over why the PPP/C managed to flip regions they’ve historically struggled in.
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One big reason? Direct cash.
The Ali administration didn't play shy with the oil money. Leading up to the election, they rolled out universal one-off payouts and massive infrastructure projects in the "hinterland" and opposition-leaning areas. It turns out, when people see new roads and $100,000 (GYD) hitting their bank accounts, historical party loyalty starts to feel a bit less important.
Another factor was the opposition's internal drama. Between the APNU and the Alliance for Change (AFC) splitting up and the constant infighting over leadership, they weren't exactly a united front. The AFC, led by Nigel Hughes, ended up with zero seats this time. Total wipeout.
What’s Next for Guyana?
With 36 seats, President Ali doesn't need to beg for votes to pass the national budget or approve new oil contracts.
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The focus now is almost entirely on the Stabroek Block and ExxonMobil. While some critics, like the Forward Guyana Movement (which picked up one lone seat), called for a renegotiation of oil deals, Ali has been pretty firm about "sanctity of contracts." Expect the status quo to continue, just at a faster pace.
The 2025 election also signaled a weird shift in ethnic politics. For years, Guyana was a "race-based" voting block—Indo-Guyanese for the PPP, Afro-Guyanese for the APNU. But the 2025 results suggest that economic populism might be starting to bridge that gap, or at least confuse the old lines.
Actionable Takeaways for Following Guyana's Future:
- Watch the Budget: With a solid majority, look for the PPP/C to accelerate spending on the Gas-to-Energy project and the new Demerara River Bridge.
- Monitor the Opposition: Keep an eye on Azruddin Mohamed and the WIN party. Being the "Official Opposition" with 16 seats gives them a huge platform, despite the leader's controversial background.
- Check GECOM Reports: While the main results are settled, the final observer reports from the Carter Center and CARICOM provide the best insights into how to fix the "trust deficit" in the voting system before the next cycle.
The 2025 election wasn't the chaotic mess many feared. It was a clear, calculated transition into a new era of Guyanese politics where oil wealth is the only currency that truly talks.
Next Steps: You should monitor the upcoming parliamentary sessions to see how the new WIN party uses its 16 seats to challenge the PPP/C's legislative agenda, particularly regarding the Sovereign Wealth Fund.