By Talibeh Hydara
Five out of the eight UDP parliamentarians who joined the National People’s Party following their expulsion from the yellow party, have lost their seats to candidates sponsored by their former party.
In November 2019, the UDP expelled the eight sitting National Assembly Members for tilting towards President Barrow who had fallen out with the party and had sacked its leader Ousainu Darboe as vice president some months earlier.
Fatoumatta Jawara of Tallinding, Alagie Jawara of Lower Baddibu, Billay Tunkara of Kantora, Abdoulie Ceesay of Old Yundum, Saikouba Jarju of Busumbala, Saikou Marong of Latrikunda Sabiji, Baba Galleh Jallow of Sanementereng and Omar Darboe of Upper Niumi were expelled from the party.
They later officially joined President Barrow’s NPP and were sponsored to seek re-election.
However, aside from Billay Tunkara, Omar Darboe and Abdoulie Ceesay, the remaining five lost their seats in Saturday’s elections.
Fatoumatta Jawara lost Tallinding to Musa Badjie of UDP; Saikouba Jarju lost Busumbala to a UDP-backed independent candidate Muhammed Kanteh; Saikou Marong lost Latrikunda to Yaya Sanyang of UDP; Alagie Jawara lost Lower Baddibu to Kemo Gassama of UDP; and Baba Galleh Jallow lost Sanementereng to Fatou Cham of UDP.
The UDP however fell far short of the 31 seats it won in the 2017 parliamentary elections, getting only 15 this time.
