As the saying goes, in moments of conflict, you can choose to be right or to be wise.

There comes a moment in public life when procedures become irrelevant, and perception takes precedence. That moment has arrived for the One Bermuda Alliance.

Last week was not just about a leadership change; it was a public reckoning. The verdict, delivered not through caucus rooms or constitutions but by the wider electorate, is clear.

While the OBA may argue that it followed its internal rules, citing constitutions and taking votes, the reality is that politics is not decided on paper. It is determined by trust.

And trust has been severely damaged.

Even those critical of Robert King, including those not won over by his leadership style or media performance, agree that this situation could have been handled better. It needed more time, clearer justification, a process that respected the members who elected him and a transition that prioritised legitimacy over speed. Instead, the party chose control.

This choice speaks volumes.

What the public witnessed was not a confident organisation mapping a clear future, but a defensive manoeuvre designed to stabilise internal discomfort. It reinforced the longstanding perception that real power in the OBA does not reside with its membership, but rather with a small inner circle, demonstrating that renewal is permitted only under tightly managed terms.

This criticism is not new; it’s an old one. This is precisely the problem.

Leadership turnover, internal drama and abrupt resets have become defining patterns for the OBA. Each event is framed as “unfortunate but necessary”. After each, calls for unity and patience arise, yet the party emerges weaker in the eyes of voters who are weary of waiting for coherence that never materialises.

The result is a paradox: a party that claims it is ready to govern yet repeatedly shows an inability to manage itself transparently.

This latest episode was not visionary; it was reactive. It did not broaden the party’s appeal; it narrowed it. It did not inspire confidence; it deepened cynicism. It confirmed what many already suspected: when faced with discomfort, the instinct is not to persuade but to remove.

While the OBA grapples with its internal logic, the political consequences are external and unavoidable.

The Progressive Labour Party does not need to govern well when the Opposition is managing itself poorly. It does not need to persuade undecided voters when those voters are increasingly alienated by the alternative. It does not need to defend its record aggressively when the spotlight keeps shifting back to the dysfunction of the Opposition.

This is how dominance is maintained without a commitment to excellence.

The tragedy is not simply that the OBA lost a leader; it is that it lost yet another opportunity to show it understands what the public truly need: clarity, humility, accountability and a genuine break from the habits that have kept it electorally stalled.

The electorate is not confused; it is observant. It notices when rules are used as shields, when unity is demanded without being earned, and when a party confuses being technically correct with being politically wise.

What happens next will determine whether this moment becomes yet another entry in a long list of self-inflicted wounds or the beginning of something genuinely different. Wisdom would dictate slowing down, telling the truth plainly, respecting the intelligence of the electorate, and re-earning legitimacy instead of assuming it. It would mean understanding that leadership is not secured by votes alone but by consent and that consent cannot be managed, only earned.

If this lesson is ignored, the judgment that is already forming will solidify into something final. This is not because the public are unforgiving, but because they have experienced this before. Next time, they may simply stop listening.

In the end, the judgment is not cruel; it is fair.

You have been judged. And you have been found wanting.

• Terica Dillas is a founder and director of operations for Unity in the Community