Obryan Leighton enters political ring

Leighton, 32, accepted to be the People’s National Party (PNP) St Catherine South Western Old Harbour Central Division councillor/caretaker ahead of the much anticipated parish council elections.

Local government election is constitutionally due in February 2022.

Speaking to Old Harbour News exclusively, Leighton says he accepts the wishes of Comrades after they approached him.

“I’m of the line of thought that if persons show that great interest in your leadership and in your capabilities that I should just go forth and be the best I can be for the people and for the community I will serve,” said Leighton, who is a member of the People’s National Party Youth Organisation (PNPYO).

The diminutive and outspoken youth advocate, comes to the fore with a solid track record through volunteerism, youth mentorship and advocacy. He has been a member of Optimist International, serving in various capacities including being the president of its Old Harbour Chapter, a position he still holds. As founder of the Old Harbour Glades Youth Mentorship Programme,

Leighton has been providing guidance and support to at-risk youth living in the division. The university graduate is also well averse when it comes to organizing and public speaking, two vital skill-sets required to excel in the political field.

But more important for Leighton, he wants to be seen as an aspiring politician who is new and different to those before him.

“My integrity, my work and professional life has separated me from many persons,” he said. “I don’t see myself as a politician. I see myself as a leader and as a visionary and a servant to the people.”

It is these qualities exude that convinced Dr Kurt Waul, the PNP’s constituency chairman for St Catherine South Western and others that Leighton should be promoted to lead the division. Dr Waul called Leighton’s ascension a natural fit.

“Obryan has deep roots inside the division. Many of the people that he will represent were classmates of his or friends of his growing up in the Patrick Street community in the division. He has always gotten along with his peers and the people he lives with it,” Dr Waul said of the man who was his social media manager during his last political campaign against Everald Warmington of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

“Leighton’s qualification and work speaks for itself that he’s a lover of people,” added Dr Waul.

It would be fair to assume that Leighton long held aspirations of entering the political arena. But timing is very crucial in politics they say.  After he left Old Harbour High where he served as deputy head boy, he matriculated to the University of the West Indies where he attained a Bachelor of Sciences degree in political science and sociology.

This field of study, he said “would what have shaped or helped me in my experience as it relates to my political underpinnings”.

“As such I think there is much to learn in terms of actually being integral in the politics versus theoretically,” Leighton added. He also sees his work in volunteerism as an added “plus for me rather than it being something that will hamper me because with a track record of serving these communities I will be better able to care for people within my division”.

If elected Leighton said he will invest meaningful time developing and instituting programmes that foster youth empowerment, promotes social intervention and conflict resolution and entrepreneurism.

It has been more than two decades since the PNP won Old Harbour Central Division. However, despite the stranglehold of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party in the division, Leighton is quite confident he can pull off what would be an epic upset.

“What will bring me through is the fact that I have been serving this community wholeheartedly and assiduously prior to entering politics and it shows a level of care and love for the community and for people and this will transform into possibly voters turning out in droves for me,” he said. 

Buoyed by the support of Comrades, Leighton told Harbour News that he’s heartened as well by the positive messages from those on the opposite of the political divide.

“They are quite excited because they know of my capabilities and they know that if I’m elected I will represent them well,” said the Patrick Street native and resident. “They know that my potential is so limitless that I could be the mayor at any point in time in the political future if elected. They know that I’m somebody with ambitions, they know that I will not settle for less and that I’m a very outspoken person who will speak on issues and who will represent them at all cost. So they are quite fond of what I’m capable of and I’m pretty sure that that will spur a lot of them to turn out and vote for me.”

Despite such strong show of confidence, this will perhaps be his toughest challenge yet, as unseating the JLP’s Steve Graham will certainly take an enormous amount of effort.

According Dr Waul, the PNP’s party leader and president Mark Golding has made a commitment to assist candidates like Leighton to improve their chances at the polls.

“Obryan is a very resourceful person, who is capable of doing his own fundraising and getting the support from the people who know him well. But Mark Golding has made a commitment to assist councillor/candidates and I will also be there to help him in whatever fashion I can.”