The Voice reported in their 4th July, 2023 newspaper the Speaker of the Nat’l Assembly and APRC (FTJ faction) leader Fabakary Tombong Jatta spoke at a gathering in Foni urging unity of the supposedly divided APRC party. It would be for a ‘good reason’ he explained. The good reason being APRC Unity would somehow end the injustice forced on their suffering, exiled leader Yahyaa Jammeh and lead to his freedom. This comes after other reports about talk within the APRC Babali Mansa faction to join with the APRC FTJ faction, possibly at the urging of APRC’s homesick leader. And all this is taking place soon after President Barrow’s re-election.
Where does this leave Gambia’s President, who seems to have sacrificed what’s left of his ethics at the altar of political power? Sure, he was shrewd enough to win reelection with a large majority after ‘schmoozing’ with the APRC FTJ faction. But the cost of doing so was his rewarding the babbling ‘mere allegations’ Jammehites and Jammehistas with spots at his regime’s feeding trough, much to the dismay of many Gambians. His party’s underwhelming performance in the recent elections could be an expression of that dismay.
Bait and switch is an ancient trickery scheme, much like the ancient Greek Trojan Horse story. Was the APRC FTJ faction’s support the ‘bait’? And in process now is the ‘switch’ – a surprise move to a united APRC with a single minded purpose. The President might be dreaming that history will judge him favorably because he has pursued reconciliation – a noble achievement indeed. But that requires the APRC first admit the reality that Jammeh is a thief and murderer. That has not happened, and is unlikely to happen given the APRC mindset. It is as if the APRC is infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Once the switch takes place, Gambians face a regime indebted to an unremorseful, widely despised political party intent on freeing Jammeh. A party whose local leader is in charge of Gambia’s law making process and in the queue to the presidency. Lord have mercy!
Over and out,
