National Reconciliation Party (NRP), spokesperson Pateh Baldeh has resigned his position over what he described as betrayal of trust by a party he served for over a decade for failing to back him contest Jarra East constituency seat in the April 9 Parliamentary election.
Baldeh, who walked into the office of The Voice on Thursday, confirmed his resignation and also announced his candidature and presentation of nomination paper today at the Independent Electoral Commission regional office in Mansakonko, Lower River Region.
“My decision to contest came from the people of Jarra East constituency and to be frank they are backing me. Under the National Reconciliation Party (NRP) and National People’s Party coalition, I applied to contest the Jarra East seat under the NPP ticket because the NRP vowed not to sponsor any aspiring candidate but will only sponsor the party’s incumbent national assembly members. This decision was conveyed to me by Samba Jallow, erstwhile Minority Leader of the National Assembly from party leader Hamat N.K Bah,” he disclosed in an interview.
Baldeh, who has been a strong supporter of the NRP for over a decade and ascended to the role of the spokesperson of National Reconciliation Party, at its last congress, stated that when he was informed by the minority leader that Hamat said that NRP will only support the incumbents, he was left with no option other than to applied under the National People’s Party (NPP) ticket.
“Seven (7) of us applied under the NPP ticket but I ended up withdrawing my candidature because I was informed by the Administrative Secretary of NPP that even if I win the primary he will not consider it as valid because I was not a member of NPP,” he told The Voice.
He added: “Upon my withdrawal I tried all efforts to get the approval of the NRP party but to no avail as I was informed that the position of the party remains the same. This was so disappointing and a betrayal of trust because as far as am concerned and as the party’s spokesperson I was never aware of any executive meeting where it was announced that NRP aspiring candidates cannot contest against NPP in Lower River Region (LRR).”
The erstwhile, Spokesperson of NRP continued to disclosed that the decision for NRP to sponsor the candidature of the incumbents is not the decision of the executive, adding that such a decision should have come from the executive but not from either the minority leader Samba Jallow or Hamat N.K Bah, Party Leader and Secretary General of the National Reconciliation Party (NRP).
According to him, after his failed bid to be selected at the NPP primary he decided to leave Jarra East for the Kombos to continue with his work.
“I was returning to Kombo, upon my arrival Soma, the peoples of Jarra East started calling me, it was calls over and the ‘words are the where are you, come back’, I decided to returned and a meeting was held and I informed that the peoples of Jarra East have selected me to represent them. They are my people and they asked me to contest. I have options,” he said.
Baldeh, further said despite his selection and considering what had happened decided to decline but after consultation and pressure from the peoples he decided to serve them.
” I am a household name in the politics of Jarra East and the fact that it is the same people who wanted me to contest I have no doubt that they will massively vote for me. On a personal note and as a citizen of Jarra East I have been contributing my quota on the development of the constituency even before today and I believe with these little contributions the electorates will consider me first when it comes to voting,” Baldeh told The Voice.
This is not the first time that a senior executive member of the National Reconciliation Party (NRP) resigned from his position beginning with the party’s deputy leader Musa Sonko who resigns in 2020, for allegations of foul-play and the NRP Leader Hamat N.K Bah’s desire to surrendering the party to President Adama Barrow and his NPP.
Pa Touray Bajinka, administrative secretary of the NRP confirmed Baldeh resignation and wished him well in his endeavor.