By Omar Bah, reporting from Niamina West
As the campaign enters into the final stage in the Niamina West by-election, a former APRC National Assembly member and now a strong supporter of President Barrow’s NPP, has told a rally that the Gambia Democratic Congress has been surrendered to the UDP by Mamma Kandeh. The GDC won the constituency in both presidential and National Assembly elections but according to Seedy Njie, GDC is no longer a serious party because it has been surrendered to the United Democratic Party. The two parties are backing Yero Jallow, a GDC candidate in the Saturday election.
“Forget the GDC, it is not a serious political party as it has been surrendered to the UDP and both parties have nothing to offer. President Barrow is the only solution so voting for NPP means voting for development,” Njie told supporters in Mali- Kunda village, a one-time GDC stronghold.
Seedy Njie further said since the GDC has now joined the UDP, they have turned to a desperate political party that only understands politics to be aggressive and offensive.
“But I want to assure them that the NPP is political party with a difference and when we were coming, President Barrow advised us not to engage in politics of confrontation or insults and only ballots should speak for us,” Njie said.
He assured the people of Niamina West that the president is determined to electrify the whole country before the end of 2021.
Another speaker, NPP strongman Dou Sanno thanked the villagers for the support given to the party’s campaign team and urged the people of Niamina West to leave Mamma Kandeh because he “doesn’t know the importance of people. “This is why he abandoned you when you needed him the most,” Sanno said. He urged them to teach the GDC a lesson at the ballot box on Saturday.
Also speaking at the rally, the NPP national women mobiliser Maimuna Assan Jallow Baldeh, said a landslide victory is certain for the NPP candidate on Saturday.
The party’s administrative secretary, Mambanyick Njie said there is clear indication that the whole of Niamina West have now shifted to President Barrow.
“I think the biggest mistake the country’s opposition is making is underrating President Barrow because they think they are more educated and experienced than him. But they should remember that when God was choosing President Barrow in 2016, the opposition who are making noise were all here and Barrow has already defeated the opposition. Forget them, they have nothing to offer you,” he said.
He said Niamina West has a decision to make to either continue dining with the opposition and remain in empty wells or join President Barrow in the well full of water.
“And for the opposition, if they want to be president, they must use the front door,” he added.
Mambanyick further said Gambians must decide on choosing to vote for President Barrow who has brought the country together and warned them against voting for “somebody very aggressive even in the opposition. If anyone follows these oppositions, your problems will never be solved,” he added.
The NPP rally also featured christening of new babies born in the village who were named after party entourage while some NPP bigwigs were adopted as fathers or mothers of Compins.
The campaign team was also given two bulls by the villagers, a gesture they often extended to the GDC.
