Dr Elhajj Badara Alioune F Taal
Organisational change is not easy and nobody likes it, but sometimes we need to take risks, and the chance to conquer the fear of the unknown. I listened to a roundtable interview with the flag bearer of the leading opposition party, UDP, and I was disappointed with his addiction to become president. It is more a selfish ideology, an ego, than being in the interest and well-being of The Gambia.
This flag bearer for the UDP was asked a very simple question on term limits, he fumbled and never gave an answer. Mark you, this guy competed for the presidency five different times and failed miserably on all five counts. He is, after all, closer to 80 years than 70. This would have been a perfect time for him to let the next generation carry on the torch with new ideas. He should have taken this opportunity to be an adviser, mentor, motivator, and leader, as a senior member of the party.
He was asked a follow-up question on stepping down and his future aspiration for the office after 2026. He responded alluding to the fact that – that decision will be determined after 2026 election outcome. How old will this individual be after 2030 if he is alive? The whole idea of submitting applications for flag bearer of the UDP was a pretext and should not be taken seriously by any sane person.
Something is certain, that is, no party in Gambian politics is large enough to carry a 50 plus one vote majority. I said it before, and I will write it again; the opposition came to power in 2016 by forming a coalition to uproot an incumbent. That same mindset and model is what the contesting parties will need to uproot this incumbent. The NPP party deserves more credit than it is given as far as designing a political winning strategy. They are in the process of once again implementing that same strategy, forming coalitions to expand their base. In 2021, they allied with a big and established party with large followers, APRC, and the gamble paid off and NPP succeeded by winning that election. It is now coalescing with other parties in its alliance including those of information minister Ismaila Ceesay’s CA, and former interior minister Mai Fatty’s GMC, to boost its chances of winning the 2026 election. And we do not know who else will join the NPP-led coalition.
The diaspora does not vote, and placing all one’s eggs with us will not win anyone an election. All the diasporans do is give out money. My advice to the UDP militants and supporters is as follows: Make your party less confrontational, tone down the tribalist rhetoric (as was voiced in various venues), be more tolerant, civil, less insulting, accept criticism. It is time to change directions and pass the torch to the youths; it has been 29 years losing five presidential elections, producing bad results. May be, the people need to see a new face that is relatable to them. Suppress the ego, and lastly, transfer the torch to the youths. The landscape has changed, and this generation cannot relate to the old views. This is the TikTok, AI, crypto, social media, and cell phone generations, and as a result, the messaging has transformed into a different language that your leaders are new to. Trust them and be their mentor than fighting against them…
The UDP flag bearer should be criticised and the party people should welcome being criticised for it to grow and stop being emotional, and allow competition – just very recently, many were blaming MrBensouda for contesting to be runner for UDP; that he was rushing into the leadership of the party, or he won a mayoral contest because of the UDP’s influence, as a result, he should be a follower and not allowed to lead, he is too young, in addition, the alienation factor – “he is not one of us”. I have no problem seeing someone chasing after his or her dreams, or wanting to progress, and it is only in The Gambia, that made that concept a crime simply because of our disease – maaslaahaa. Let us look at the sub-region and the new leaderships in Senegal and Burkina Faso. The last time I checked they were the youngest leaders in the continent and may be the world. It is not age, it is the fresh ideas, it is the vision, it is about the mission, it is about ethics, it is about legacy, and above all, it is about having some references and believing that development is a work in progress, not static, rather dynamic.
Placing all your eggs in one basket can be detrimental to one’s expectations and as a result, the UDP should revisit the latest population census track in the country and see the tribe consistencies and comparisons… It is safe to appeal to all in the country, not to be stereotyped or tied into one tribe, this is the reality.
There has been a shift in leadership power, as Barbara Kellerman stated, power was the tool for leaders and this has been eroding due to cultural changes, access to technology and these developments gave followers a huge advantage in information gathering and increase transparency. These developments did lower many respects, followers used to have for their leaders, resulting in leaders’ wielding less power, as power no longer is synonymous with leadership. Raven (1959) identified five common and important bases of power – referent power (teacher), expert power (tour guide), legitimate power (judge), reward power (supervisor), coercive power (coach), and Information power (boss – criteria to promotion). In African politics, our leaders are neither ethical, nor are they verse in leadership or management. These two titles are very similar in many ways, and research has shown that their similarities and differences draw a grey line. In some of those research, management is simplified as “doing things right” whereas leadership is referred to as “doing the right things” (Bennis and Nanus, 2007). Our leaders are not capable of managing our resources, nor can they motivate the population (for example, like Traoré). Once they are sworn in office, they shroud themselves and get intoxicated with power. The state’s resources, bank accounts, and so forth, become their individual accounts. The democratic becomes autocratic. They rise and behave as if they are above the laws and wield power with impunity because those trusted with the law will look the other way. The same epidemic also runs in other elected officials, all of whom swing the title of “honourable” when they are the least honourable to say the least. They are charged with legislating laws for the country, for the citizenry, however, many in the house of parliament are less informed of the constitution on which they are to legislate. It is very easy to criticise when one cannot provide an alternative solution, however, there is nothing wrong with positive criticisms. Therefore, whether the NPP party does good, bad, everyone has a right to the presidency or parliament, and as a result those seeking votes to run the government should be challenged at the contest to come prepared with something tangible and assuring to address our issues and concerns. Action is what creates change and change begins with a single step.
I wish all eligible voters could ask their candidates the following questions:
1. Why should the citizens vote for you instead of the incumbent?
2. What is your plan or manifesto in addressing the needs of the constituents or country?
3. How will your candidacy pay for the list in your plans (manifesto)?
End.
Dr El hajj Badara Alioune F Taal, PhD, M Eds, MLIS, MA, BS(x2), BA was born in Banjul, and resides in Florida. He is in academic, curriculum developer, administrator and football coach. He is passionate about driving excellence and innovation in higher education.
