By Binta Jaiteh
Sheriffo Sonko, chairman of Brikama Area Council, has insisted that the United Democratic Party cannot defeat him in the upcoming local council election in 2023.
“Eventually not from me, the Brikama Area Council belongs to the people. And I don’t look like (someone) who is scared. History tells everything between UDP and Sheriffo Sonko. I was there since inception they started waging war against me. I won all their war against me,” he said.
He added “so, going to places and saying they are coming after me whether I am scared or not. Why should I be scared of them? Are they the owner of the West Coast Region, they are not the owner? And let me tell you something, I am not someone who the UDP can defeat. It is impossible.”
According to him, there are lots of things that the people of the West Coast Region need, adding “people of West Coast Region are not selfish people and they don’t have a selfish person to lead them.”
He cited his legal battle with the United Democratic Party saying “they went to court and nothing came out of it. If you could recall (Hon) Madi Ceesay once said removing chairman Sonko should be a lesson for President Barrow and the party leader also said removing Chairman Sonko is inevitable. They went to the High and Supreme Courts and nothing came out of it. I believe in God and I rely on Allah,” he said.
Mr Sonko went on to speak about the shocking defeat of the National People’s Party in the parliamentary election in the West Coast Region, claimed that the party lost due to poor selection of candidates.
“Yes, comparing the presidential election to the National Assembly election, there is a big difference. But this difference is caused by poor arrangement and the overconfidence of people. But if not, West Coast people belong to Barrow’s party, the NPP. But there are some internal problems, number one is lacks of better communication and number two is that the strategy for the campaign was not put in place,” he disclosed.