Dear Editor,
Political parties, especially the opposition, should take polls seriously. This is because polls offer critical snapshots of the current state of affairs, giving political parties, not least the opposition, a chance to reflect and re-strategise their efforts to achieve electoral success.
The latest CepRass polling is consequential because it once again highlights how Gambians feel in a crucial, high-stakes election year. To outrightly dismiss the findings would be a rookie political miscalculation, considering CepRass’s impressive track record of accurate polling. There is no one-size-fits-all or perfect polling anywhere.
What I think this poll offers is an opportunity for the opposition to band together to stop President Barrow’s bid for self-perpetuation in power. The poll should remind the opposition that, under current political realities, it would be a mistake for any single political party to believe it can wrestle down an NPP-led government. Barrow has matured politically and understands what it takes for an incumbent to keep winning. Just look around and see how President Barrow has accelerated his campaign strategy by commissioning and inaugurating pro-poor development projects. For example, his upcoming tour of the country to commission several rural electrification projects is a well-crafted campaign strategy designed to woo the rural electorate ahead of the polls. He knows he performs very well in rural Gambia, and he’s seizing on that opportunity.
Many of Barrow’s rural electrification projects were completed well before this year (at least I know that of my village). However, the decision to delay the projects’ commissioning until the election year couldn’t have been more deliberate. We also saw how Barrow has made policy decisions designed to show that he cares about the needs and wants of the citizens. The recent ban on the importation of onions and potatoes, as well as the filling of important government positions with youth, are all designed to appease Gambians.
Barrow’s numbers are clearly underwater, and the latest CepRass polling underscores his poor performance, even when compared with his predecessors. However, for that to translate into any meaningful electoral gain, the opposition must set aside its toxic ego and coalesce. That coalition-building process must be anchored in realism, truth, fairness, and honesty. The opposition must listen to the aspirations of many Gambians who yearn for a democratic system that respects political accountability through term limits. If the opposition fails to coalesce, it will be responsible for Barrow’s self-perpetuation in power.
They should think about the country as a whole and let go of their egos, which have done nothing but hold this country back.
Hatab Fadera
USA
