Speaking to Lovin Malta, Aquilina detailed what led her to her decision as well as the insults she says she faced over the last few years.

“When I left Dar Centrali last night, Bernard Grech’s supporters insulted me, they called me a clown and a Labourite… and this after I spent my whole life militating in the Nationalist Party, ever since I was four years old when I would go out with my father as he canvassed for the PN,” she said.

“I’ve worked so hard in Marsa, helping so many people in need, taking calls from elderly people, distributing groceries to residents as part of the COVID-19 scheme to help the party remain financially stable and heading the Marsa sectional committee,” she continued.

“However, I’ve had to face so many insults in the past three years, including on blogs, and it hurt my family to see me getting attacked by Nationalists. This isn’t the party I know.”

She broke down what she says she experienced last night after the vote was taken.

“When I walked out of Dar Centrali last night, someone shouted out to me that this was the last time I was going to walk into the building,” she said.

“Why should I return? Do I need the party or does the party need me to contribute? I won’t join the Labour Party out of principle but I cannot agree with the attitude taken by people within the party against Delia over the past three years,” she continued.

When asked about Grech’s pledge to reach out to Delia’s supporters, she was firm.

“Grech should have helped Delia and contributed more to the party before deciding to contest the leadership and get pushed there by a clique. He could have been a mediator, not a contestant,” she said.

“I’m angry and hurt and it pains me to have to resign because I love my party, but I’ve thought about over the past few hours and my decision is final,” she ended.

Grech beat out former PN leader Adrian Delia in an election determined by the party’s paid-up members, winning with a comfortable margin of 69%.

What do you think of Aquilina’s words?