By Landing Colley
APRC supporters have said they are highly optimistic of the return of former President Yahya AJJ Jammeh who has been living in exile in Equatorial Guinea since 2017, despite President Barrow-led government dismissed his coming home.
Thousands of APRC supporters over the weekend gathered at the PenchaMi Hall for the party’s 7th National Congress – that saw its supporters chanted praises in Jammeh’s name. They said is Jammeh who gave them food and water and changed The Gambia into a radical socio-economic transformation.
Speaking at the congress, APRC interim leader, Fabakary Tombo Jatta said: “It is however noted that the press release, Ebrima Sankareh, government spokesperson, in which he refuted rumours of former president Jammeh’s return but for the first time acknowledge the existence of a join communiqué between former president Jammeh, ECOWAS, AU and UN.”
He harped on his statement emphasizing that “nobody, or law can prevent a citizen of the Gambia from coming back home. Former President Jammeh’s return depend entirely on him, he can come back next week, next month or any time of his choice but what is clear is that he will surely come back home.”
Meanwhile, he highlighted key challenges APRC is facing from 2016 presidential election to date and this include included “incessant smear campaign in the print and electronic, unwarranted arrest of their member, weeding out their supporters from public office, illegal sales of former president Jammeh’s properties by the Coalition government as they refused to acknowledge and implement the joined communiqué signed between the former president Jammeh, ECOWAS, AU and UN.”
However, he lambasted the government on its respond to the covid-19 saying “covid-19 pandemic has a series of restrictions that holds serious destruction to the livelihood of Gambians and did right decision and measures taken on time?”
“Was the response effective and comprehensive and were the need of Gambians consider? What has been the impact of government restriction on business especially small and medium scale business and did government provide any relief for them?” he asked.
According to him, they have built a relative national economic with their economic power and comprehensive national strength that has put an end to the loose-stand state and upgrade high degree of unification of the country and unparallel unity of all ethnic groups.
He therefore urged their supporters to continue mobilizing and marketing the party’s program, manifesto to the people as the election approaches.