2 Liberation Avenue,
Banjul, The Gambia.
7th December 2021.
His Excellency Mr Adama Barrow,
The President & The President Elect,
of the Republic of The Gambia,
State House, Banjul.
It is indeed with a great sense of heightened joy, patriotism and good will, that I am availing my humble self, of this golden opportunity, to warmly congratulate Your Excellency, for your recent and well deserved landslide victory, in the just concluded 4th December 2021 Presidential Election, in which our beloved and new National People’s Party (NPP), under your wise and visionary leadership, swept the polls in all of the 5 Regions of The Gambia, and the 2 Municipalities, of Kanifing and Banjul (The Capital of The Gambia) respectively. I am accurately and simultaneously addressing you, as both The President & The President-Elect, because our 1997 Constitution (which is still legally in force), expressly says, that the term of Office of The President Elect, starts in earnest, at the expiration of the term of the incumbent President. This therefor legally means, that you are yet to finish your term, as the incumbent President of The Republic of The Gambia.
”Vox Populi Vox Dei” (Latin: ie the voice of the people, is the voice of God). From the word go, you had an added advantage, over the other five contenders, in the keenly contested race to The State House, because of what is called:- ”The Power Of Incumbency”, in Political Science/ Government/ Civics. The aforesaid added advantage, was obviously endorsed or approved by God Almighty, in heaven. Hence the famous Theological quotation:- ”Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven….”.
According to the Official records of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), there were 6 contenders for the aforesaid election, but in actual fact, it was indeed a two-man race to The State House, namely between the NPP, whose flag bearer was your good self, and the United Democratic Party (UDP), whose flag bearer, was my learned friend, Honourable Mr Ousainou Darboe. It was indeed inconceivable, for many pessimistic Gambians (but not for optimistic Gambians like us), that a novice political party as the NPP, could defeat a much older political party as the U.D.P., which had its Silver Jubilee Anniversary or 25 years of its existence this year, on Monday 23rd August 2021, in the aforesaid Presidential Election. But with God the Almighty, all things are possible.
After you clearly defeated ex-President Yayah Jammeh, the then party leader of the APRC, in the 2016 free and fair Presidential Election, ”The New Gambia”, under your wise and visionary stewardship, introduced a new era of Democracy, Human Rights, Rule of Law, Good Governance, Infrastructural Developments etc, for all Gambians and non-Gambians living in The Gambia and the diaspora. It was therefore axiomatic or it goes without saying, because The Gambia’s Electorate (including most first-time voters), badly wanted more of the aforesaid sterling leadership qualities, that was why on 4th December 2021, they came out massively, and intentionally voted Your Excellency back into Office, for yet another 5 years (or for a second Presidential term). This vividly reminds me, of a famous Novel titled ” OLIVER TWIST ”, which was the second novel of the famous British author, Charles Dickens, that was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. The protagonist or main character of the novel, was Oliver Twist himself. He was born in a workhouse as an orphan (ie a person whose either or both parents are dead), and he was sold into apprenticeship with an undertaker. Oliver Twist had an Insatiable appetite, so that when he was given a small meal by his undertaker he said:- ”Please Sir, can I have some more..”.
Professor DR. Akawande Oluwole Soyinka, “Wole Soyinka” in short, our beloved Nigerian/West African/ECOWAS Citizen, is a laureate (a winner of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize). The Nobel Peace Prize, is one of the 5 Nobel Prizes, created by the Will of the Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments manufacturer, Mr Alfred Nobel, with prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Medicine and Literature. In 1986, Professor DR. Soyinka deservedly won the Nobel Peace Prize For Literature. As a literary giant in African Literature, he once authoritatively wrote:- ”A tiger does not proclaim his ”tigritude”, he pounces…” Professor DR. Soyinka explained the meaning of this famous statement as follows:- ”In other words, a tiger does not stand in the forest and say ”I am tiger”. When you pass where the tiger has walked before, you see skeletons of an antelope, you know some tigritude has been emanated there.” This proverb is simply saying, let your achievements and abilities speak for you. The relevant English Law Latin maxim, for this scenario is:- ”Res Ipsa Loquitor” (ie. The thing speaks for its self). Your Excellency, on 4th December 2021, you manifested in crystal clear terms, your indisputable ”tigritude”, when your invincible political party (NPP), captured 457,519 votes, which represented 53.2 % of the total votes cast, at the said Presidential Election.” Veni Vidi Vici” (Latin:- ie. I came, I saw and I conquered). Coincidentally, my household name is alias ”Oluwole”, and coincidentally, I was also born in the month of July, like Professor DR. Akawande Oluwole Soyinka, who was born on 13th July 1934.
Your Excellency’s well-deserved re-election into Office, further reminds me, about a famous Gambian novel titled:- ”The Second Round”, that was single-handedly authored, by my late Paternal Uncle, DR. Lenrie Wilfred Peters (Fellow Of The Royal College Of Surgeons/FRCS), a Cambridge University-Trained Surgeon and a Co-proprietor of the famous Westfield Clinic in Kanifing Municipality, in partnership with, the late DR. Sam Palmer, a Gambian UK-Trained Gynecologist.
Your Excellency Mr President & The President Elect, common sense dictates, that you are indeed The Father Of The Nation, and since you have honourably promised that, you will continue to rule The Gambia with peace and stability, you are therefore also, The President of all Gambians, irrespective of their different political affiliations, which is indeed an inalienable and a fundamental human right, according to Chapter 4 of our 1997 Constitution. Indeed, the able and God-fearing Chairman of The I.E.C., Hon. Mr Alahaji Mommar Njai and his competent electoral team, must be warmly congratulated, for collectively conducting a Presidential election, on 4th December 2021, without any mistake. The famous adage goes thus:- ”To ERR IS HUMAN, AND TO FORGIVE IS DIVINE.”
In conclusion Your Excellency, I must also warmly congratulate, the vast majority of The Gambia’s electorate, for taking a wise and decisive decision, of voting you back into Office, for yet another 5 years, on 4th December 2021. This was indeed the highest gesture of patriotism. This brings surfacing to the landscape of my mind, the famous words of the celebrated Greek Philosopher, Plato, encapsulated in his masterpiece Political Science Book titled:- ”The Republic” :- ”The price wise men pay, for not taking part in Government, is to be governed by foolish men”.
Please accept Your Excellency, the renewed assurance of my highest consideration, and fraternal esteem.
Yours in the rule of law.
………………………………………….
DR. Henry D.R Carrol (M.R.G),
SOLICITOR GENERAL EMERITUS OF THE GAMBIA (2007 – 2009),
FOUNDER ADJUNCT U.T.G. LAW LECTURER (2007 TO DATE) &
SENIOR OXFORD – TRAINED LAWYER (1994 TO DATE).
