By Alagie Manneh
The governing National People’s Party has said the actions of Alhaji Basiru Gassama in endorsing UDP’s Talib Bensouda on election eve amounts to a political betrayal and constitutes a “serious crime”.
The outspoken Bakau politician surprisingly turned up at an opposition UDP final rally in Bakau Sanchaba to announce his endorsement of Talib Bensouda arguing that he was not interested in “parochial politics”.
In reaction to Gassama’s dramatic move, the NPP spokesman Lamin Queen Jammeh said Gassama’s actions flouted “an important rule” in Gambian politics. He added though that the NPP is yet to decide on any response or action over Gassama’s behaviour.
“But I will express my concern that his actions is serious and the party will not take it lightly. We have to assess the extent of damage his actions may have caused to the party. Certain people of high standing in society can influence a lot of people at the eleventh hour through the kind of action done by Gassama. But another important factor is understanding the NPP as a political institution, and understanding that this man does not represent any authority in NPP there. Those who believe him to be NPP would see it as an important shift but those who know him as an ordinary member of NPP would view it differently,” Jammeh, who is also the minister of information explained.
