By Tabora Bojang and Mamsait Ceesay
The ruling National Peoples Party NPP yesterday nominated over 90 candidates across the country ahead of the 15 April Area Councillors elections.
In Banjul the party filed nominations for all nine wards while in the KM, the NPP is contesting 14 wards, leaving the rest to APRC.
“We are very hopeful that we are going to take all these seats. We learnt from our mistakes during the national assembly elections where we had a lot of divisions and as a result some of our people went to run as independent candidates against our official candidates and some were so angry that they didn’t even participate in the elections because of the selection process. So this time around we have worked on that seriously and we don’t have any independent candidates that I know of so far,” NPP campaign manager Lamin Cham told The Standard at the IEC regional office at Kanifing.
The IEC deputy chairman Joseph Colley, overseeing Kanifing, said all candidates have fulfilled their legal requirements for eligibility, adding that the IEC would conduct its verification to ensure the 75 signatures that endorsed their nominations are registered voters of their respective wards.
“After 4 o’clock if no registered voters raised objections then we deem them [candidates] to be duly nominated,” Mr Colley stated.
Mariama Chuballo Drammeh one of the NPP nominated councilors said she is hopeful to win the Dippa Kunda Ward.
In Banjul Abdoulie Mboge, Sheikh Jaw, Abdul Aziz Gaye, PA Mamour Ceesay, Abdoulie Boss Gaye, Tunko Jammeh Ebou Sarr, Serign Modou Kebbeh and Momodou Bah were nominated.
Incumbent Councillor Gaye of Box Bar ward told The Standard that his chances of being re-elected has more to do with the progress and development he brought to his community. He disclosed that he is contesting under NPP ticket because when elected, he needs a team and a mayor to work with to be able to further his agenda for the people of Box Bar Ward. “As an incumbent councilor, what could make me win is what I’ve done for my people. The progress I made in my ward is evident for everyone to see,” he said
