Fuad Abu Bakr | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 August 1985 |
| Political party | New National Vision |
| Other political affiliations | Jamaat al Muslimeen |
| Spouse | Kristy Ramnarine |
| Relations | Radanfah Abu Bakr (brother) |
| Parent(s) | Yasin and Atiyah Abu Bakr |
| Alma mater | Queen's Royal College Kingston University City, University of London |
Fuad Abu Bakr (b. August 30, 1985) is a Trinidad and Tobago politician, businessman and community activist who is the leader of the New National Vision political party. [1]
Fuad Abu Bakr was born in 1985, the son of Yasin Abu Bakr, head of the Jamaat al Muslimeen, and his wife Atiyah (formerly Grace Telesford). [2] He is one of his father's 15 children. [3] When Abu Bakr was four his father attempted to overthrow the governmen t of Trinidad and Tobago. [2]
Abu Bakr completed his secondary education at Queen's Royal College in Port of Spain, [2] and then spent two years studying Arabic and Islamic jurisprudence at the Islamic Call Society's college in Libya. [3] He later studied at Kingston University and at the City, University of London, both in the United Kingdom. [1]
Fuad Abu Bakr is the political leader of the New National Vision. [1]
Under Abu Bakr's leadership, the NNV contested 12 of 41 seats in the 2010 general elections. [4] Abu Bakr was a candidate for the Port of Spain North/Saint Ann's West, and placed third, receiving 93 of 13,344 votes cast. [5]
In the 2015 general elections Abu Bakr contested the Diego Martin West seat and came fourth of six candidates. He received 194 of 17,026 votes cast. [6] In the 2020 general elections he ran for the Port of Spain South seat and came fourth. He received 147 of 10,452 votes cast. [7]
Abu Bakr was arrested on June 30, 2020 [8] during riots in Port of Spain over the killing of three men, Joel Jacob, Noel Diamond and Israel Clinton, by police. [9] He was charged with "using violent language to provoke persons to commit a breach of the peace" and breaking regulations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. He was also charged with obstructing a police officer, and three counts of assaulting a police officer in connection with a Black Lives Matter protest earlier that month in Port of Spain. [8] His father, Yasin Abu Bakr, claimed his son has been trying to calm protestors, not incite them, when he was arrested. [10] Charges against Abu Bakr stemming from the BLM protest was dismissed in May 2023 after the police officer who filed the charges repeatedly failed to appear in court. [11]
In the 2025 general elections he is a candidate for the Port of Spain South seat representing the NNV. [12] He was the party's only candidate, [13] and has endorsed the UNC as "best hope for poor and disenfranchised citizens". [14] On April 9 he led a protest in east Port of Spain against Keith Scotland, the member of parliament for Port of Spain South, questioning the ruling People's National Movement's commitment to "uplift[ing] African people" what it meant to be a "PNM stronghold". [15]
Abu Bakr is married to Kristy Ramnarine, a television producer at CNC3. [16] Footballer Radanfah Abu Bakr is one of his brothers. [17]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PNM | Keith Scotland | 5,523 | 59.9% |  | |
| COP | Kirt Sinnette | 2,218 | 24.1% |  | |
| PF | Winzy Adams | 670 | 7.3% | | |
| NTA | Gail Gonsalves-Castanada | 352 | 3.8% | | |
| NNV | Fuad Abu Bakr | 268 | 2.9% | | |
| All People's Party (Trinidad and Tobago) | Kezel Jackson | 149 | 1.6% | | |
| Majority | 3,305 | 35.8% | | ||
| Turnout | 9,215 | 36.09% | |||
| Registered electors | 25,534 | ||||
| PNM hold | |||||