Hon Bakary Bunja Darboe have an unfinished business
Following your article titled A Document from the PPP Details Damming Evidence of Electoral Fraud at the Party Congress. I am surprised by such titled hence, we have one PPP that have the mandate of the people to speak on behalf the party. So therefore your title was misleading the document came from people who are acrimonious after Bakary B Darboe lost election at our just recently concluded congress.
I will like to response to their malicious, distorted and misleading petition that was full of fabrications
- Bakary B. Dabo, Member of the National Executive Committee, Member of the Central Committee, and national Treasurer; and
- Papa Njie, whose candidature as a bona-fide member of the PPP has yet to be approved by the National Executive Committee.
Response
- I want to make this clear that Bakary B. Darboe was not a member of central committee or national treasurer after 1994 coup d’état, hence he abandoned the party and later he joined the Junta as their minister of finance. I think the least we expected from BB Darboe is an apology to the party and its members for serving an illegal government, and betrayed the party that gave him the opportunity to become who he is today.
- This is the most ridicules part of their argument of Papa Njie membership, any sensible person will be asking why the former national president and national executive allowed him to contest in an election while he was not a bona-fide member to partake in such a process. I believe that is absurd and such argument is bunkum.
“In the immediate aftermath of the elections a number of delegates raised serious complaints about the registration and the voting process which necessitated the Party Leadership to authorize investigations in to the conduct and procedures of the election.” BB Darboe Petition
I think BB Darboe and his team are either intentionally neglecting the constitution of PPP or they are been unconscious. After the congress Papa Njie is the legitimate leader of the party so no leader have the mandate to authorize such investigation. The constitution had explain the powers of the congress prior to and after the congress
ARTICULE 10 THE NATIONAL CONGRESS SHALL HAVE THE POWER:
- To lay down the broad basic policy and programmed of the Party;
- To consider the reports and audited accounts presented by the Treasurer on behalf of the National Executive Committee;
iii. To deal with other matters affecting the Party and the country;
- The decision of the National Congress shall be binding on all members of the Party and affiliated organizations.
For them to say that the party leadership authorized investigation, who are those leaders? Hence at the congress the new leadership was elected which shall be binding to all members and affiliated organization. The subsection iv of the article 10 states the former executive is to deal with all matters affecting the party and the country. Therefore if Papa Njie was not a bona-fide member who is contesting to become the leader of the PPP was not stopped but allowed to contest and won declared the winner by the then national president Yaya Ceesay most importantly BB Darboe spoke and congratulated him what more did we need to justify whether he was a bona-fide member or not? The PPP constitution henceforth gave Papa Njie the mandate to lead the party for the next 3yrs hence the decision of the congress is binding to all members and affiliated organizations.
- Failure to meet the Eligibility Criteria for Party Membership
“Papa Njie claimed to have joined the PPP early November, 2018 after contesting, as an independent candidate, in the KMC mayoral election. However, Alhagie Yahya Ceesay, the Interim Chairman of the PPP National Executive Committee said that Papa Njie’s membership application has neither reached him nor the National Executive Central Committee, the sole organ empowered to approve applications for membership.” BB Darboe petition
This sections is baseless and it will be a repetition to wonder why will Yaya Ceesay took part in a process to elect a new party leader and allow someone to contest to the highest position of the party without the required qualification hence the constitution gave him and the national executive the powers to stop Papa Njie from contesting which they failed to do so only shows their incompetency and the type of leaders they were. Furthermore, if BB Darboe have to petition he should have petition Yaya Ceesay and the former national executive for allowing Papa Njie to contest in an election with the understanding that he wasn’t qualified.
- Lack Clarification of Papa Njie’s membership Status with UDP
“Papa Njie never presented his letter of resignation from the UDP to the National Executive Committee or the Chairman of the PPP at the time of his application to join the Party.” BB Darboe petition
One will wonder when did BB Darboe reapplied to become a PPP member hence not long ago BB Darboe was AFPRC after leaving Sir Dawda at Senegal and joined the junta. He betrayed his party and his leaders. At least Papa Njie can be very proud to say he was UDP member hence UDP is a very decent party and have been fighting an illegal government that BB Darboe aided to install. Talking about whether papa Njie resigned from UDP that was an opened secret he openly said he resigned and he ran as an independence what more information do they need?
“1.3 Questions raised on the membership and candidature of Mr. Papa Njie. At a meeting of the PPP National Executive Committee at Alhagie Yahya Ceesay’s compound on 27th December 2018 Mr. Papa Njie’s eligibility to contest the position of Secretary General of the PPP was questioned as it was at variance with the Party Constitution. However, both Omar Jallow and Kebba Jallow insisted otherwise with Omar Jallow saying he has received the application. It was pointed out that this was not enough, the approval has to be approved by the National Executive Committee. The meeting was adjourned with a decision to have one of the party elders and Omar Jallow talk to Papa Njie to withdraw his candidature. Having been under IEC constrain to conduct a congress, the PPP National Executive Committee proceeded to hastily conduct the party congress before the deadline of 31st December, 2018 with expectation that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) elders would prevail on Mr. Njie to withdraw his candidature for reasons already mentioned above.” BB Petition
The above statement is misleading and full of fabrications. I am reliably informed both Papa Njie and BB Darboe applications were handed over to Yaya Ceesay at an executive meeting in the presence of the following peoples; Kalilu Singateh, Minister James Gomez, Minister Musa Drammeh,, Mrs. Alaba Mboge, Dodou Taal, Malang Saho, Dr. Nyambi Touray, James Gaye, Kebba Jallow, and Hon. Omar Jallow there was no objection to both papa Njie and BB Darboe application. The meeting was held at Yaya Ceesay compound nobody ever raised such queries we expected BB Darboe at his age to be truthful and honest in his statement but what did we expect from a sore loser?
In fact if anyone’s application was to be rejected that should have been BB Darboe hence he abandoned the party for 24yrs, worked for AFPRC, and he didn’t met the residency requirement. Electoral act states that all members of the executive of the political parties must be a residence of the Gambia. BB Darboe have been leaving in the UK for the past 23yrs he came weeks before the congress, he didn’t have valid voters card, it is not clear if BB Darboe have his own compound in Gambia hence he is staying with families and friends shows how unprepared SORE LOSER BB Darboe was.
In addition the constitution of the PPP said all matters affecting the party and country should be discussed before the decision of the congress, and any decision that is made at the congress is binding. From the above explanations makes me wonder why both yaya Ceesay and the national executive committee failed to defend the constitution if they infact believed Papa Njie wasn’t a bona-fide member. Saying been constraint by IEC to conduct congress is pathetic, IEC have no mandate to interfere or dictate how we elect our leaders. The above reason is unfounded.
“2.1 Organisation and Conduct of the PPP 2018 Congress In keeping with the tradition and practice, PPP Congresses always elects Congress Officials which comprises a Chairman, a Vice Chairmen and Commission Chairmen. These officials are required to officiate the conduct of the congress in a transparent and objective manner. No such Bureau was elected and instead Omar Jallow and Kebba Jallow who have already clearly shown their support openly for Mr. Papa Njie assume the functions of the bureau and used the platform to campaign openly for Papa Njie thus giving him an unfair advantage.”
Only a sore loser will make such a statements it only show how reckless BB and his team are. What stopped BB Darboe and his team to resolve this matters before and during the congress but allowed it to continue until the congress already made their decision? If such was the case why will they participate in the process after knowing fully they are been treated unfairly? They have the rights to boycott until such an important aspect of the congress was constituted as required.
“2.3 Presentation of Financial statement and audited accounts
Although a scanty financial report for the 22years of stewardship was presented at the Congress, no audited accounts were presented as required by Article 9 (ii) of the Constitution. It can therefore be concluded that both in manner, conduct and content the Congress has fallen short of the expected standards which questions the validity of decisions emanating from such an organ.” BB petition
The above statement can be easily resolve by requesting for an audited accounts of the party and it has nothing to do with papa Njie elections. Another statement of a sore loser
From 3.0 to 3.5 assertions made by BB Darboe team are simply baseless for example “delegates were told that Papa Njie was the sole financier of the entire congress and not the party, hence, skewing the perception of the delegates” BB Petition.
Sore loser BB Darboe failed to mention what was their contribution towards the congress? It would have been more counterproductive for them to tell us how much their contribution was, how the fund was generated? If delegates were told Papa Njie was the sole financier how will that skew the perception of delegates in voting for BB or Papa Njie? Was it in fact true that papa Njie had contributed more than any person towards the congress? Is it illegal for party members to support and sponsor the activities of the congress and what part of the constitution prohibited candidates not to sponsor activities of the party?
“Perceived opponents among delegates were denied food as in the case of the delegates from Kantora, and Wulis and Jarra Central and it was only through the intervention of Hon BB Dabo, who gave them some money to buy food, that resolve the matter was resolved.” BB Petition.
This portion is very ridiculous, sore loser BB Darboe failed short to give account of his financial support towards the congress but in fact acknowledging of bribery. We have been reliably informed and have it in an audio recording were BB Darboe when to visit the delegates and bribed them to vote for him instead he was trying to flipped it as he was there to help a cross section of delegates that only indicate how divisive BB Darboe was for paying attention to the delegates that he deemed will be voting for him and marginalized the rest. We will retain the audio recording until we meet them at the court.
We didn’t have any direct threat against anyone at the congress, the congress was very peaceful, fair and transparent.
“One example of such incident was the $3000 sent by the PPP USA team was given to Hon Gomez, but was never surrendered to the party finance committee, although the finance committee was informed about the funds” BB petition
Sore loser BB Darboe and his team have contradicted themselves here the money was giving to James Gomez not Papa Njie but when into say that Funds that were supposed to come from the party’s coffers came from Papa Njie directly instead. This already vindicated papa Njie they should questioned Hon. James Gomez how the $3000 was spend. It is very important to mention that team BB are able to mentioned only one source of the money not the rest. It is very prudent to understand the budget of the congress was about 1.5 million dalasi, $3000 is about D150, 000 how is the rest of the money raised? What about if papa Njie claimed that he raised the rest of the money can BB denied that hence he never contributed a butut.
From 4.0 to 4.3 is the most sad part of their petition I cannot fathom how an experience politician like BB Darboe can participate in something that is he already knew is flawed with illegal registration of delegates to an extend there was a tension between his agents and papa Njie agents but his agent simply relent.
The person mentioned here call papa Faal who was a US soldier can you fathom a person of papa faal who is not only educated but matured enough to understand what is right or wrong would allowed to register people for elections where the faith of his candidate will be determined, and still allowed it to happened? I think BB and his team are basically cooking up stuffs to mislead the party members and the country at large. By all means this only show how weak, reckless, and incompetent BB and his team was.
Sore loser BB Darboe failed to mention that he changed the first date of the congress because he made it a conditioned to go on a country wide tour to verify the delegates all over the country before the congress could took place. He embarked on a verification tour and showed satisfaction of the structures which eventually raised his confident to contest for the position of secretary general and party leader at the congress.
“Delegates from the old Yundum constituency seem to be selected within tribal lines. The suspicion is that four delegates bear the last name Bah, two with the last name Baldeh, and one with the last name Jallow. It is hard to imagine that in a diverse constituency such as old Yundum, eight of the ten delegates will bear similar last names.” Bb petition
The most insulting part of BB petition is basically showing how tribalism minded he is, for of some one is Bah, Baldeh and Jallow could explained how those people voted. Is very unfortunate to hear such a statement from someone who was a vice president for a decades. I am very happy that our delegates refused to be influence by such personality to lead the affairs of our great party. We will like to apologize to the Fula tribe for such a statements coming from someone who served at the highest position of our party. Our party stand for inclusiveness where everyone is treated equally.
Finally BB Darboe have an unfinished business we can all recalled that since 1992 congress BB Darboe did all he could to succeed Sir Dawda the moment he announced that he would resigned. BB the second in command welcome the ideas and other others didn’t. From that moment BB started to undermine Jawara as a result he was demoted to the ministry position for the fact that he was power hungry. He never gave up and started to create confusion and division in both the jawara government and the PPP party. The government was perceived weak and divided. This resulted to coup in 1994 were both BB and Jawara were in the same boat to Dakar but he later returned to work for the illegal government.
However, most people are making excuses for him that he came because at that time the country needed his service and if he failed to come the economy of the country will collapsed and the Gambians will suffer. These excuses have no substances because at the time BB should have focused on how to make sure Yaya Jammeh and his team are not able to form a government. For him to be the guy that help them to stand on their feet is a question on his credibility, integrity and loyalty to Sir Dawda and the PPP party.
Anyone who ever betrayed Sir Dawda will always pay the full price am not surprised when I saw BB Darboe was not elected at the congress due his insincerity to Sir Dawda and the PPP party. We will advised Hon. BB Darboe to let this go, that he will not be able to overturn this result and the more he pursue it, makes us more courageous to challenge him, and he will certainly be facing his grandchildren’s at the court Hon. OJ have already retired so this fight is between him and us the young people.
Editor’s note: Gainako is a media outlet that does not censor publications unless they run contrary to our policies. We do not take sides in any partisan politics thus we are in Independent news outlet known for its neutrality and good professional judgement. We reserve the right to create captions for publications as we see fit… The press statement that was published was a document that sent to us from the PPP… We are not in a position to say who which side is the legitimate group representing the party until it is officially certified by the IEC…