In a rather statesmanlike position, business tycoon and political commentator aligned with the governing NPP, Pa Njie Girigara, has said following Talib Bensouda’s filing of his nomination papers all of which he says seems to be correct, the Independent Electoral Commission should allow him to contest for the larger interest of the country.
According to Njie, his comments come in the spirit societal cohesion and tolerance and not so much as disregard for the law.
“But even in the court of law once the case reaches conclusion the presiding judge often asks both sides for any plea of mitigation or anything and it is in that same spirit that I made these comments,” Njie, a supporter of President Adama Barrow, said in an audio obtained by The Standard.
He added that in fact allowing Bensouda to run is what majority of Gambians including Adama Barrow, opposition leader Ousainu Darboe, people in the government, political party militants and religious and traditional elders want to see for the greater good of the country.
Njie noted that Bensouda has filed his nomination and on the hindsight everything seems to be correct on his nomination papers, waiting only for the law to make a determination.
“I am sure even before he filed his papers, the IEC has done due diligence on all the facts- about his eight years as mayor of KM, the LG Commission report, the White paper and the appeal he filed at the Appeal Court which is yet to be decided upon.
So all these are facts on the table. But my message is purely political and social. The IEC in this case is like a court coming to give a verdict. I have spoken with a lot of people in the government and in the NPP and they all want to see Talib Bensouda contest,” Njie said.
He therefore called on the IEC to allow Bensouda to contest . “We want to have him in the wrestling ring. This is not about justice or legality. This is about politics and political competition. If you allow him to contest, the majority of Gambians will agree with you. Nobody will blame you because we all want to witness the wrestling and at the end of the day, it is the voters that determine who will be their president. And we want to accord that opportunity to Bensouda for Gambians to pass their verdict on him and see if they want him to be their president or not. So we are pleading with the Commission to accord us that opportunity. Barrow won’t have issues with it. NPP won’t have issues with it. People in the government won’t have issues with it and even those in the opposition because we heard Ousainu Darboe say that he wants Talib to contest.
We are a society and as such we should be able to agree on something for the greater interest of The Gambia. This is a national plea. I am talking on behalf of many Gambians. elders, militants and politicians all say they want Talib to contest. That is politics,” Njie concluded.
