By Omar Bah
A senior executive member of the United Democratic Party has challenged Abdoulie Suku Singhateh to end the speculations about whether he has decamped to President Barrow’s National People’s Party.
Three days after reports emerged of his “cross-carpeting”, the proverbial cat seemed to have got the tongue of the otherwise outspoken veteran Baddibu politician.
Singhateh has refused to talk to the UDP executive or the party’s media outlets leaving supporters of both the NPP and UDP in verbal pugilism over his situation.
Yesterday, an important meeting of a fundraising committee of which he is the head was held and even the party leader was attended, but Mr Singhateh was a no-show. This has lent credence to the speculation.
Although the UDP has not officially made a statement on the matter, a senior member of the party who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Standard: “We have not received any communication from Suku and attempts to reach him on the phone continue to prove unsuccessful. We challenge him to speak out and end these speculations once and for all. He is a very respected politician not only in the UDP but the country in general. The UDP is a democratic party and respects the principles of democracy. If he has any intention of leaving, he should just send his resignation letter. The party will not want to lose him but we will not stand in his way.”
The speaker added: “I will admit that it will be a big loss to the party but the UDP is used to such kinds of things. Our former national president who is also a founding father of the party has left us but that has not shaken the party. So I think Suku Singhateh should just end these unnecessary speculations once and for all. It is really disappointing that the party has been trying him all this while without success. We were also expecting him at our fundraising committee’s meeting but he didn’t show up,” he said.
Another executive member also told this paper that “Suku Singhateh is as good as gone.” “Given all what has happened, I can say for certainty that that he has abandoned us [the UDP],” the member posited.
Meanwhile, the NPP rank and file members have also refrained from making any official statement on the matter keeping their cards close to their chest in a game of political brinkmanship.
