By KebbaAnsuManneh
The serious Sillaba Samateh, a staunch supporter of President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party (NPP) has talked tough about the dismal performance of his party at the just ended National Assembly election in key administrative areas of the country.
In his expression, the performance of the party in Banjul, Kanifing Municipality Council (KMC) and West Coast Region (WCR) shows the regional and ward committee members must take their works with Seriousness in these regions.
According to him, the regional executives in these affected regions must quickly brace up to fix the loopholes that leads to the underperformance in these regions, observing that NPP’s continuous survival in the political landscape of the country partly relies on its strength in Banjul, Kombo and Brikama areas.
He made this statement two days after announcement of the results of the 9th April 2022, National Assembly election, where Banjul, KMC and West Coast Administrative Areas managed to present only one seat to the ruling party, while it scored hugely in most rural regions of the country with seventeen (17) seats captured under its arm.
“What I want to say is not going to be nice but the truth is all of us (NPP family) must admit that we have underperformed in Banjul, KMC and West Coast. We need to do a very serious work in these regions because NPP cannot afford to lose Banjul, KMC and Brikama as a serious contender in Gambian political space” Sillaba Samateh unapologetically stated.
He added: “If you look at the performance of the party in rural Gambia and look at its underperformance in Banjul, KMC and West Coast you will agree with me that, we (NPP) must do a very serious work from the grassroots, to the wards to the regional levels. Our regional executives must open-up and be more serious and committed to their work if there is to be any serious head ways.”
However, in overall the National People’s Party’s performance in the just ended NA election is worthy of celebration as new-comers in the parliamentary election race, arguing that winning eighteen (18) seats and putting into consideration the seats of its allies shows that NPP is on a strong footing into the next legislative chambers.
“Having eighteen seats is highly commendable as this is the first time NPP participates in such a large scale parliamentary election since its inception. As it stands, we have the majority voice in the house, and if you add these to the seats of our allies NRP and APRC, it naturally gives us the strength needed to move the development aspiration of President Adama Barrow,’ businessman Sillaba Samateh observed.
He appealed to the Independent candidates to consider returning back to their NPP family, arguing that most of the Independent candidates are members of the NPP but due largely to the selection issues some chosen going solo.
“I want them (Independent candidates) who were supporters of the President and his party to come back to the family and continue the good work you have started for the party. I believe you will have more profit than loses in working with the President to accelerate the development of the country,” he appealed.
He, therefore, recognised the resilient performance of the United Democratic Party (UDP) in Banjul, KMC and West Coast Region as a wake-up call to the NPP executives in Banjul and the Kombos. While he affirmed that no one should underrate the performance of UDP in these regions as revealed by the results of the 9th April, parliamentary election.
“To be honest I believe UDP has performed extremely well in Banjul, KMC and West Coast Region, we must give them credit for their resilience. After all this is only politics, we must not allow it to divide us but rather unite us as a one big family with same intention to develop our country,” Sillaba summed up.