Former President Abdulla Yameen has said that because members of the PNC are certain that President Mohamed Muizzu cannot win the upcoming presidential election, a “silent coup” is underway not only within the People’s Majlis but also inside the cabinet.

Speaking at a rally held by the People’s National Front (PNF) on Thursday night, Yameen said that even the polls conducted so far show that Muizzu will not be able to secure victory in 2028. He noted that those within the government themselves are well aware of what kind of leader Muizzu is and that the administration has failed to deliver results — and that they, too, have been openly voicing this.

Yameen pointed out that the most recent cabinet reshuffle was itself made in response to the leak of a conversation held between several ministers at a coffee table. He added that the criticism directed at him during the PNC’s jagaha rally on Saturday night came in the “heat” stirred up by his remarks about the silent coup. Several PNC members have denied Yameen’s allegations.

Referring to the Speaker of the People’s Majlis, Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Yameen said that in recent days Abdul Raheem had been standing “outside the threshold” of the PNC’s leadership, and that no matter how much he speaks from podiums, the relationship between Muizzu and Abdul Raheem will not improve. He added that, apart from Muizzu, there is currently no one in the party of the calibre needed to bring the PNC back to power.