The president of the Republic and leader of the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) has underscored the importance of voting, while challenging his party supporters to turnout and exercise their franchise in the November 24th Presidential Election. 

His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh was speaking Thursday afternoon at State House in Banjul where he presided over a political forum with Banjul APRC militants. The meeting came barely one week after four other administrative regions held similar meetings with the ruling party leader. The high-powered delegation, which was led by the mayor of Banjul, Samba Faal and comprised of the city’s Council of Elders, APRC regional executive committee, women and youth representatives, and the capital city’s lawmakers, was accompanied to the presidency by the mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) and APRC national mobiliser, Yankuba Colley.

The delegation’s visit to State House was, as those by other regions, meant to not only reassure the Gambian leader of the city’s undivided loyalty to the ruling party in the forthcoming election, but also seek for assistance in terms of logistics for campaigning with a view to boosting their mobilisation efforts at the grassroots. 

Speaking at the meeting, the president emphasised the significance of the forthcoming election, which will be the fourth of its kind since the advent of the July 1994 Revolution. He reiterated that voting in the election is a show of patriotism, and called on the militants and the general public to do so as it is a right. “This year we will know anyone who doesn’t vote at the polls. If any [supporter] declines to vote in the upcoming election, we will know that you are part of the [opposition]. This is because if you are a good and patriotic citizen, you should not hesitate to show where you vote for,” he stated.

The Gambian leader warned that whoever fails to vote will be excluded from government development programmes and projects. He added: “If you want to move forward, vote in the election. But even whereas you don’t want to, just exercise your constitutional right to show where your allegiance is. Anybody who refuses to vote come November, it will difficult for you to even get a scholarship. What will really show that you are an APRC stalwart is to vote on the Election Day because you cannot claim to be a militant without voting at the polls.” 

President Jammeh went on to challenge each family head to make it a point of responsibility to ensure that family members are mobilised to vote in the upcoming election, noting that such is the duty of all and not anyone else. The ruling party leader also seized the opportunity to thank Banjulians for their support, while extending the same appreciation to the majority of Gambians that have been loyal to him and his party. He told the militants that whatever he has been able to do, he draws the inspiration from the deeds of the Prophet Muhammed [PBUH] and those that came before him. 

“If you see a leader doing something that benefits the entire people, it is due to the fact that the people themselves like that leader and support him with good intention,” he added. The president was however quick to point out that although majority of the people are behind him, he does not expect that everyone must like him. “Even Allah the Almighty, the creator has enemies who will never stop disliking Him. If God who has the only power to make everyone like Him as He desires has enemies, who am I to think that every Gambian must like me? But what I want to tell Gambians is that a person that is bad or not genuine will not do anything good and a person that is good will equally not do anything bad,” he stated.

The Gambian leader urged the majority that are behind his party and government not listen to those people he described as “not genuine” and “have not done anything good” for this country, apparently referring to the country’s opposition. “If these opposition are godly, if the government does something good they will congratulate it for that. But this type of opposition, if they hear something good is coming to the country to benefit the citizenry, they will deploy anything to stop that from coming,” he concluded.
Speaking earlier, the vice president and minister of Women’s Affairs, Her Excellency Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy commended the Banjulians for the move, and enjoined them to remain steadfast in their commitment to the party, while calling for unity. Dr Njie-Saidy urged the opposition remnants to join what she called the progressive sailing ship, while harping on the commitment and concern attached to the capital city by President Jammeh. 

Also speaking at the occasion, the minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Fatou Lamin Faye, who doubles as APRC liaison officer for Banjul, noted that the problem in Banjul is not the opposition, stressing that it is something within the militants themselves, notably issues relating to position. Commenting on the president’s plans has for Banjul development wise, the Basic and Secondary Education minister urged the militants in the city to turn out in their numbers and vote en-mass for the ruling party in the upcoming November 24th election with a view to achieve the desired result.

The minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Mambury Njie, declared they have gone beyond the point of contemplating whether President Jammeh will win or not in the upcoming election, while stressing that what is important is for the citizens to turn out and vote massively for him. Speaker after speaker who spoke on behalf of the Banjul delegation heaped praises on the Gambian leader for all what he has done, especially his commitment to the development and welfare of the city. The mayor of Banjul, Samba Faal said the developments by the Jammeh Administration in Banjul is unprecedented and cuts across all sectors, while assuring the Gambian leader of a historic win for the APRC in Banjul come November 24th. 

The mayor echoed Minister Faye’s assertion  that the problem in Banjul is not about the opposition, but has always been problems relating to the issue of position. He however informed the gathering that they have been able to address the problem. The APRC Divisional chairman for Banjul, Alhaji Biri Njie, who was among the first appointees of the Revolution in the capital city, pointed out the massive transformation Banjul has undergone, recalling the poor infrastructural condition of the city 17 years ago. The National Assembly member for Banjul North, Alhagie Sillah spoke about the unity in the city, while appealing to the Gambian leader for assistance in the form of campaign materials with a view to boost their campaign to register a desired result in the upcoming polls. 

Alhaji Mbaye Chaw also appealed for mobility, while assuring of a landslide victory. Other speakers at the meeting included Aja Fatou Bah, deputy national women mobiliser, who doubles as divisional women mobilser for Banjul; and Yama Njie, Divisional youth mobiliser for the city. The meeting was chaired by the APRC national mobiliser and mayor of KMC, Yankuba Colley.