The Guardian newspaper reported that Manning said, “If anybody is going up for the post of political leader of the PNM, it ain’t me.”

Manning, who resigned from the post of political leader of the People’s National Movement (PNM) in May last year, denied rumours he was thinking of returning to his former post.

“I suspect that is the figment of your very fertile imagination,” Manning told CNC3, when asked if he intended to contest the post in March 20 PNM’s internal elections.

“There is absolutely no truth to that” he said. “I made a statement in Parliament recently and I repeated in Parliament what I had said to the PNM general council on May 27. I said that I was resigning as political leader, that I was leaving public life and in one year when I am a Member of Parliament for 40 years, I will consider what to do in San Fernando East.”

Manning revealed that he intended to resign his San Fernando East seat but “that did not go down well with constituents.”

“Since then I assured my people that I intended to serve out my term in office in San Fernando East for which I was elected,” he said.

Manning, who has been at loggerheads with PNM political leader, Dr Keith Rowley, said he had no intention of prolonging his political career.