By Omar Bah
APP-Sobeyaa Presidential candidate Essa Faal has declined to comment on reports of alliance talks with the National People’s Party (NPP), even as multiple sources claim negotiations are underway ahead of the 5th December presidential election.
According to Kerr Fatou online news portal quoting multiple sources yesterday, senior NPP figures have made overtures to Mr Faal in recent weeks and that he has held meetings with officials of the ruling party.
According to those sources, “negotiations have progressed”, although neither Faal nor the NPP has publicly announced an agreement.
The sources also said Faal previously held talks with the United Democratic Party over a possible opposition alliance. Those talks collapsed. People familiar with the UDP discussions alleged that Faal sought consideration for the vice-presidential slot in a UDP-led coalition. Kerr Fatou reported that it has not independently confirmed those details.
When contacted by The Standard yesterday evening to respond to the claims, Mr Faal tersely said: “I don’t comment on these issues. Thank you.”
Meanwhile earlier yesterday, APP-Sobeyaa announced that it has pulled out of the APeX coalition talks, declaring the negotiations deadlocked over a disputed power-sharing agreement.
APP-Sobeyaa statement explained: “Following bilateral engagements, we regret to inform you that those discussions have not produced the desired outcome, vis-à-vis the power-sharing agreement that was already made by the parties/stakeholders.”
Citing the principle that “prior agreed decisions may only be changed by consensus,” APP-Sobeyaa announced its exit.
“In the absence of consensus on this and other outstanding matters, APP-Sobeyaa has therefore taken the decision to withdraw from the APeX Coalition talk,” the statement read.
APeX was formed in 2024 as an opposition convergence platform to challenge the ruling NPP. It brought together over ten parties and movements under one umbrella with the stated goal of fielding a single presidential candidate through an internal primary and an agreed power-sharing framework.
The talks were billed as the most serious attempt at opposition unity since the 2016 Coalition.
Central to the negotiations was a draft power-sharing memorandum that allocated cabinet positions, regional nominations, and post-election roles. APP-Sobeyaa officials said that agreement was breached during recent bilateral meetings.