By Lamin Cham
In fresh attempt to remove their renegade Brikama Area Council chairman, Sheriffo Sonko, from office, the United Democratic Party last night served him with a letter asking him to show cause as to why he should not be sacked from the party.
A similar letter was also sent to councillors Bilal Faal of Wellingara Nemakunku and Momodou Bojang of Jambur wards,regarded by the UDP as wantaways.
An official of the UDP who confirmed the development told The Standard that Chairman Sonko and the two councillors have been given a period within which to first acknowledge receipt of the letters and provide answers as to why their conduct would not warrant their expulsion from the party.
“I can confirm that the trio has been given a reasonable timeline to make a decision which is fair enough. This should be over by the end of June according to the timeline,” the UDP source told The Standard.
The UDP accused Sonko and the councillors of shifting their loyalties to President Adama Barrow’s National Peoples Party.
The UDP is trying to use the Local Government Act to remove the trio from office and force a by-election.
A previous attempt to remove them failed apparently because the party did not follow the laid-down due process for expelling a member and consequently, the party had to rescind its expulsion orders.
A source close to the party said “all the requirements have now been met” by the party and Mr Sonko would have little or no room to manoeuvre. “He would have to negotiate his return to the UDP, which is very unlikely, or face expulsion,” our source said.
The Standard contacted Chairman Sonko on the latest development but he could not be reached on all his three numbers and did not reply to a text soliciting reaction from him.
