What makes The Gambia peculiar and exceptional is not her size or perimeter but her people. Generally, Gambians are a very hopeful people who strive on this premise in the pursuit of their goals. Despite all the odds that an oppressive Jammeh regime heaves at us- the harassment, intimidation, tortures, extra-judicial killings, disappearances, unlawful arrests and detentions, we have never given up on hope about our future. Hope, therefore, is one powerful energizer that strengthens the heart and enlivens the spirit which propels the will to match on head high when everything else suggests otherwise. It is this hope that President Obama may have alluded to when he posits”…not blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. I am not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us just to sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight. I have always believed that hope is the stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.” Significantly, it is with this hope that something better awaits us that we must work together to fight and change the tide of political waves in The Gambia to our advantage against Jammeh.
President Jammeh is a mercurial leader who needs an audience to showcase his superfluous development projects and fools us with shameful verbose rhetoric to repair his dented political base. A crowd intoxicates him; hence his unquenchable thirst to be in the limelight, even if for all the wrong reasons. What is even more imbecilic about him is whenever he opens his alligator-like-mouth in verbose foolishness; he robs his teeth on the wrong side. Therefore, to change the tide of political waves under such a leader who flounders in political absurdity requires conscientious efforts, sacrifice and commitment to stand up against his progressive prostituting of the vestiges of democracy, good governance and the rule of law. The seed of political change should not be left to rot due to deep-rooted systematic intimidation and harassment by Jammeh’s oppression. Diligently digging into the records of Gambian politics reveals a trajectory of political misinformation, political thuggery, political alienation and corruption of the highest order. Lamentably, the opposition has for long failed to secure a political victory over President Jammeh through elections mainly due to their self-alienation from the electorates and unregistered youth force. It is not uncommon with politicians all over the world particularly in The Gambia to see them investing more on personality enhancement just to sell themselves to the constituents as those who really represent their needs and aspirations. Immediately after the votes are cast and results declared, these same politicians who were dining and wining with ordinary voters just weeks and day before, become immediately inaccessible. What is more appalling is they put on their ubiquitous robes leaving the electorates in utter dismay until the next elections; a disappointing five years down the road. This ominous pattern of opposition negligence within the ambits of our fractured political opposition only lends a hand in perpetuating Jammeh’s oppressive regime to cling onto power for eternity. Apart from Seedia Jatta and Halifa Sallah who else among The Gambian opposition can proudly boast of a foundation for his/her constituents? Having such constituency projects help constituents access funds for their development projects like horticulture, primary healthcare or even nurseries for their children. How much time do Gambian opposition elements spend in their constituencies after elections? Which political party has regional party branches or offices where their constituents will visit for political dialogue?
Figuring out what exactly has the opposition been doing as the oppressive Jammeh regime continues to blatantly strangle the political process with impunity is like to yelling at a herds of sheep in the wilderness. To demonstrate that he is no match for either the military or the opposition element, the gusty soap-box populist Jammeh asserted that:” No vote will oust me from power, no coupe will oust me from power and nobody can do anything about it.” If Jammeh is true to his words what is the opposition’s position on his rumbling? Why is the speaker of the national assembly junketing with the president on his political tour of the country? Perhaps, Jammeh knows that actually no one can do anything to whatever he says and does which also explains why he runs the country like is personal property.
The Gambians in the Diaspora vehemently disagree with Jammeh and have constantly proven to him that they can do a lot, forcing him to see reality. His dirty linens are constantly exposed particularly as it relates to his blatant disrespect for law and order, private life and property such that he is shitting himself with rage as how all his classified information gets to the open unchecked. Since he has threatened that we will regret the day we were born if we make the costly mistake of setting our feet in The Gambia, we will continue our efforts in lobbying all stakeholders and development partners of the Gambia to open their eyes to the sufferings in the country and how Jammeh’s tyranny has reduced the place into an open prison. This tragic phenomenon is paying dividends as he is now more and more bitter and frustrated by his international isolation. If the opposition complements the Diaspora Gambians’ efforts by also lobbying the country’s stakeholders and development partners back home for political reforms soon Jammeh will realise he is not but a wastrel coward. It is about time that the opposition grows out of political patronage and get in touch with The Gambian people. You are blessed with great social networks which can mobilise and strengthen your support base. A lot of Gambians are now accessing Facebook, Skype and Viber to name a few which are quick and easy means by which one can communicate to groups of people at the same time. With these tools at hand, you can reach out to many Gambian both at home and abroad particularly the youths. Encourage them to register to vote and involve them in disseminating your parties’ manifestos. With such easy and quick means of sharing information and talking to many people at the same time, you can also generate a lot of financial support to fund your parties. Now is the time to start engaging The Gambia electorates to gain victory over Jammeh in 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Gambians are now weary of politicians who only knock at their doors when it is elections time. You have to dismantle all the definitive impediments that Jammeh has erected to thwart your political victory. Put your individual differences aside and form a united front that will defeat the coward, Jammeh.