‘Not a dibby-dibby leader!’ - Campbell says Mark Golding is the second coming of Michael ‘Joshua’ Manley

General Secretary of the People's National Party (PNP), Dr Dayton Campbell, has likened party president Mark Golding to a modern-day Michael Manley, declaring that the current opposition leader is the "reincarnation" of the late former Prime Minister.

Campbell, speaking at a PNP campaign meeting in Sandy Bay, Hanover, on Friday, like Manley before him Golding's mission is grounded in social justice and national development.

"It is not a dibby-dibby leader that we are putting forward," Campbell said.

"We are putting forward Michael Manley reincarnated, the second coming of Michael Joshua Manley. We are putting forward an intellectual giant."

Manley, who led the party to victory in 1972, 1976, and 1989, is arguably its most revered president. Renowned for his charisma and vision, Manley championed bold social reforms that prioritised equality, education, workers' rights, and the empowerment of the poor.

On Friday, Campbell heaped praise on Golding's leadership qualities, calling him the most capable legislator in Parliament and a man of deep compassion. He defended the PNP president against criticisms of his appearance and speech, dismissing them as distractions from Golding's strong character and proven track record. He said that Golding's heart is in the right place and he is of sound character.

"Dem have a problem with him complexion, Lord Almighty! When we say our motto is 'Out of many, we are one'. Dem seh them have a problem we know him talk," Campbell said.

"Then them waah come with argument bout wah him dress inna, and dem sinting deh," the PNP general secretary said as he scoffed at the criticisms.

"A leader we are look for! We are concerned about the brain and the heart, we want to know where the brain is where the heart is... it is what is in your brain and in your heart man."

Campbell said Golding's record speaks for itself, describing him as a legislative powerhouse and a compassionate leader who has consistently put Jamaicans first. He cited several examples to support the comparison, including Golding's role in decriminalising marijuana, expunging criminal records for minor ganja offences, and personally assisting Jamaican students stranded in Ukraine during the Russia-Ukraine war.

"When Russia and Ukraine start war, and bombs are drop... The government told our children who were in Ukraine studying that they should get a loan to come back home. Mark Golding went in his account and take out personal money and sent it to the students to carry them back home to Jamaica," Campbell said.