Lamin Jarju and Bakary Suso
Ruling APRC has swept the polls in Thursday’s Local Government elections. It captured almost all the key municipal positions across the country. The opposition is having a bad day today, as it lost most of their seats. Independent candidates fared well in the said elections, as they won eight seats. Banjul twice elected Mayor Samba Faal, also a former Sports Minister defeated his opponent Femi Peters. Mr. Peters could not make it in his first bid to contest Banjul Mayoral position in the Second Republic. Popular politician Samba Faal secured a resounding defeat against his opponent. Former Kanifing Municipal Mayor Yankuba Colley also defeated his opponent Master Momodou Danso. Excited APRC supporters has since stormed the streets of the City and elsewhere across the country jubilating their election victory.
The UDP led Alliance secured three seats, while the opposition NADD won only one seat. Eight of the independent candidates who self sponsored themselves won.
The Gambian voters had lost confidence in the current opposition. It’s easier to win as an independent candidate than to contest under an opposition ticket. The problem has been blamed to the opposition disintegration, which angered many voters.
Bakau, which has been known as an opposition stronghold has once again reelected its jailed strongman Ousman Rambo M. Jatta. Jatta who has been walking in and out of prisons, following his refusal to be cowed by the Jammeh Government defeated Oumie Barry in a clean defeat at the just concluded local government elections.
Rambo whose disappearance was a major concern to the UK based Amnesty International, scored 1,987 votes while his opponent Oumie Barry of the APRC captured 1161 votes.
Violence erupted in Bakau when the APRC supporters could not withstand Rambo’s victory. The APRC supporters threw stones at the UDP supporters, which resulted into a fracas between the party supporters.
A complaint was lodged with the Bakau police, but it took sometime before they could showed up at the scene of the crime.
Police arrested two UDP supporters and detained them. Police walked into Rambo’s house and arrested J Bojang and Yama Fatty. Four other opposition supporters were left injured during the fracas.
Armed police and soldiers are patrolling the area in a bid to avert any incident of such nature. But the UDP supporters were still in police custody.
“ The police are discriminating at the UDP. They only arrested our supporters. This is unfair. A professional force would have also invited the APRC supporters for questioning but there was nothing like that. “ said Musulebba Darboe, a UDP supporter.
Candidate MC Cham of Eboe Town who earlier vowed to defeat his opponent has lost the elections. APRC candidate Momodou Lamin Badjie won the Eboe Town seat.
Mr. Cham stood as an independent candidate following the APRC’S to drop him during its elections primaries. His candidature was rejected, which led to his nomination as an independent candidate by the disgruntled APRC supporters. Cham attracted huge followings during the campaign, but non the less has been defeated.