Craig Cannonier, the former Premier, has broken his silence on a possible challenge for the leadership of the One Bermuda Alliance by saying that Michael Dunkley has his support.

“I have not challenged the Premier and I do support him,” he said in a brief message to The Royal Gazette.

Mr Cannonier had been touted for a potential return as leader of the OBA in the wake of the protests against the airport redevelopment deal that critics believe have damaged Mr Dunkley’s ability to govern effectively.

Mr Cannonier would not answer questions about whether he was planning to try to unseat the Premier when contacted by The Royal Gazette yesterday.

But a party source told this newspaper that the Minister of Public Works was calling members of the OBA’s parliamentary group to try to obtain their support for a leadership challenge.

Mr Dunkley was asked directly at a press conference yesterday if he had been “approached” by Mr Cannonier. “No, no,” he said.

He denied that anyone in the parliamentary group had asked him to step down as party leader. “There are always challenges to any positions in politics, but I’m not aware of anyone who wants me to move on at this time.”

Asked if his leadership was under threat, he said: “Every day is a threat in life.”

He said there were always people who would want to sit in the Premier’s chair but jokingly questioned, in an apparent reference to the pressure he is under, why anyone would want to.

The party source said there were “leadership rumblings” going on behind the scenes, but Mr Dunkley could cling on to the top job if he caved to pressure to get rid of at least two members of Cabinet, particularly Attorney-General Trevor Moniz, and replace one senator. Mr Moniz declined to comment yesterday.

The source said Mr Cannonier was building up support to challenge the Premier, despite having been forced to sensationally resign over the Jetgate scandal in May 2014, when the OBA replaced him with Mr Dunkley.

“He’s getting the numbers,” said the source. “If he got ten [supporters] then there would be real problems. He could make the move internally. Cannonier wants to take [the leadership] back and clean out the old guard. There is a serious move afoot to get rid of Dunkley.”

But another source disputed the claim that Mr Cannonier was the one leading a charge to remove Mr Dunkley as party leader.

“There are others that are trying to promote him,” said the second source, adding that the Devonshire South Central MP felt he had “had his time, had his turn and paid his dues”.

The source said Mr Dunkley’s response to the protest outside Parliament, which prevented MPs from debating the redevelopment of the airport, was being questioned within the party, as it was after the demonstrations against the Pathways to Status immigration Bill in March.

After the Pathways protest, tourism minister Shawn Crockwell denounced the Premier’s handling of the controversy and resigned from Cabinet, later leaving the OBA altogether. This weekend, OBA MPs Leah Scott and Mark Pettingill were said to have threatened to resign from the party in disgust at the way protesters were dealt with by police.

“There are a lot of machinations going on as we speak,” the second source said. “The fact that the House has now been adjourned after three meetings [this parliamentary session] is very disturbing and would suggest that the Premier is not holding a favourable level of support for his legislative mandate. There is unease because there is the perception that the leadership is being disconnected from the people.”

Mr Cannonier became the OBA’s first premier in December 2012, but lasted less than 18 months. This newspaper asked Mr Cannonier if he was planning to challenge Mr Dunkley but he refused to comment.

The OBA has 18 MPs, compared with 16 Progressive Labour Party MPs. One of the PLP members is the Speaker, who is usually not called upon to vote in the House.

Mr Crockwell now serves as an independent and a new MP for Warwick South Central, formerly held by the PLP’s Marc Bean, will be chosen by voters at a by-election on December 20.

UPDATE: this story has been amended with Craig Cannonier’s comment that he supports Michael Dunkley as the leader of the One Bermuda Alliance