By Saidou Baldeh
The Minister of Information and Spokesperson of government of The Gambia has clarified the media reports attributed to Hamat Bah saying President Adama Barrow can contest the much-anticipated presidential election in 2021 under the NRP ticket, a statement he made when speaking at Sare Bojo village, Jimara District of Upper River Region during a rally attended by thousands of President Barrow’s supporters.
Answering question of presenter of the popular radio program ‘Coffee Time with Peter Gomez’ on West Coast Radio, Ebrima Sillah, Minister of Information and Communication and Ebrima Sankareh clarified the statement “What (Minister) Hamat really meant was that he wishes Barrow could be a candidate for the National Convention Party in the 2021 presidential election.
This is how it was said. Unfortunately, when something is said in the local language and translated in English there is lose in translation somewhere,” Minister Sillah clarified.
The Minister continued that “When I listen to his speech in the local language I realised that he was wishing that this could happen and if other people think that they can reject the president, for him he will be happy to welcome the president and make him the NRP’s candidate.”
The government spokesperson, Ebrima Sankareh confirmed that “I was there myself and we had a big crowd that was uncontrollable at a certain point. And you know Hamat Bah being the politician he is can be provocative sometimes. It was just another demonstration of his (Hamat) support to the president in totality that come what may, here is a candidate that he support and would not mind to allow him to lead the NRP. But to suggest President Barrow has agreed in principle. No. I don’t think so.”