The people of Janjanbureh have decided. Mr Ebrima Sarjo, a manager at the national postal services, Gampost, is the person they favoured as their representative at the country’s legislature, the National Assembly of The Gambia. The politics of electioneering might have been quite an experience for him, given that it was his first time to contest any National Assembly post. Yet, he must have made his political party, the ruling APRC, proud by claiming a landslide against a politician as seasoned as Mr Kebba Yorro Manneh.
According the results announced by the Independent Electoral Commission, the APRC polled 741 votes whilst Mr Kebba Yorro Manneh of the NRP polled 110 votes. In 2012, Mr Manneh had contested against APRC’s Foday Jibani Manka, who passed away in December. Despite standing as an independent candidate, he lost with a slight margin. That race was indeed tight.
This time round, despite having the backing of a political party, he was nowhere near the first timer. As is often said, political contest is like a boiled cassava. Predictions are imminent, and are a vital part of the whole process, but the outcome always awaits the counting. For any slightest misstep could have an undoing effect on a candidate’s chances. What could have gone wrong for Mr Manneh and his NRP that worked right for Mr Sarjo and his APRC?
Mustapha Fatty
Serekunda
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