Mr. Saidou Bayo
We shall not forget the pain and horrific rights abuses Yahya Jammeh’s APRC administration inflicted on the people of The Gambia. Unfortunately, President Barrow has demonstrated with indifference
his unwillingness to break from the past and implement the Change people voted for in 2016. Thus,
it is an understatement to say that our experiment with President Barrow has been nothing short of
an absolute disaster on many fronts and we are all paying heavily for it. The time has come for us to
inject real meaning into the Change agenda that the country voted for in 2016 and desperately
needs. We cannot afford another experiment with an amateur; we must end our love affair with
mediocrity and vote for someone who is competent, and knows what they are doing from the start.
The Youths represent an important segment of the workforce of any country and the Party
recognises and is sensitive to the legitimate aspirations of the youths (e.g., good education, and
enabling environments for social progress) and that is why it provides for the establishment of the
Youth and Women’s Leagues in its Constitution. Thus, the Gambia For All (GFA) party takes the views
of the youths very seriously. The Party is acutely aware that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow
and the youths of the Party also know that there is a need for them to learn from those that know so
that they can be better equipped to continue to nurture the progress made and transform the
country. To that end, the youths occupy a very special place in the decision-making process and in
the life and work of the Party. The Party views its Youth League an important ally and warmly
welcomes ideas from the youths. Indeed, the values, and vision that the youths bring to the Party
help shape the policies and programmes that can be put forward to the voters. To that end, the
youths, regardless of their age, are always warmly welcome to join and share their ideas and
participate in the life and work of the GFA party.
The GFA Youth League is of the strong view that Hon Bakary B Dabo (fondly known as BB Dabo), the
Secretary General and Leader of GFA is the most qualified and ready of all the Leaders of all the
Parties in theatre at the moment. BB Dabo is a highly educated diplomat and a seasoned mediator
with an acute understanding of governance, policy issues, mediation and conflict resolution. He is a
principled, honest, and a visionary leader with strong moral fibres and respecting of the rule of law
and democratic norms.
If anyone takes the time a quick look at BB Dabo’s career history, and it is important that we do
because of what is seriously at stake, it becomes very clear that the vast experience which he brings
to the job puts him ahead of the pack of the presidential aspirants. He served as Assistant
Commissioner in Basse and Kerewan. He served as Assistant Secretary in the then Prime Minister’s
Office; he was Assistant Secretary at the Foreign Office; served as Director, Economic & Technical
Cooperation at the Senegalo-Gambian Permanent Secretariat and was a Banker at the Gambia
Commercial and Development Bank. He then became Gambia’s Ambassador to Senegal in 1979. His
diplomatic skills to help restore normalcy following the 1981 coup is no secret. In Sir Dawda Kairaba
Jawara’s government, BB Dabo served as Vice President, but at the same time held a number of
important ministerial posts such as Information and Tourism and also held the Civil Service portfolio
for some 10 years. During that time, many governments in Africa sent representatives to The
Gambia to understudy how our The Gambia’s Civil Service worked. BB Dabo also held the post of
National Education as well as Culture, Youths and Sports. Under his tenure as Minister for Economy
& Public Finances, the economy and trade began to flourish but, this was brought to an abrupt halt
by the takeover of Yahya Jammeh and we all know the 22 years of wanton brutality, gross rights
abuses, corruption, the collapse of institutions of government and polarisation of the society that
characterised his government.
Upon completing his legal training and after being admitted to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn (UK in 1998),
BB Dabo served as Senior Political Adviser to the UN Secretary General to help bring peace in the
Democratic Republic of Congo. He served as Chief of Staff to UN Mission on Ethiopia and Eritrea.
There, he mediated, persuaded and created the enabling environments for both parties to respect
the agreement they signed to stop fighting and negotiate in good faith with a view to arriving at a
permanent settlement. He also served as Chief of Staff and Liaison Officer of UN Mission to Western
Sahara, MINURSO. His skilful work to bring Morocco and the POLISARIO Front to the negotiation
table and help resolve the conflict underscore the UN Secretary General’s confidence in BB Dabo’s
capabilities and diplomatic skills. He also served as Senior Political Adviser to the UN Political Affairs
Department to find a negotiated solution to the problem in the Republic of Guinea/Conakry in 2011.
Clearly, BB Dabo has a track record of working across the divide, something the Gambia needs at this
time. His leadership skill will help inject sensibility into the running of our institutions and restore the
rule of law.
The Youth League of the GFA is of the view that, for some 27 years, there has been a sharp
departure from the kind of leadership we need to help transform the country. The Party’s Youth
League believes that the country is at an important stage in its life. If we have learnt from what has
been happening over the last few years and more recently, we cannot make the mistake of electing
an incompetent and an untrustworthy leader – leaders must mean what they say. The youths of the
Gambia and the people of the country deserve better and that cannot be realised unless there a
meaningful root and branch change which will help realise their dreams of a better life. That is what
the people voted for in 2016. The youths represent a sizeable percentage of the electorate and must
realise that they too have the power to bring about the transformative change The Gambia badly
needs and deserves. The interests and dreams of the youths and of the people of The Gambia have
been neglected for so long. It is now no secret to us all that in their search for greener pastures, the
youths have resorted to taking the notoriously deadly “back way”, resulting in untold suffering and
the death of innocent and energetic young Gambians the country needs to grow. It does not have to
be that way at all. We advise the youths to vote wisely and to not allow anyone to mislead them for
selfish interests. The youths must learn from the lessons of the past. Clearly, it will be unwise and a
disaster to vote for President Barrow as his re-election could threaten the peace and viability of the
nation.
We hope you make BB Dabo your choice; he is ready, trustworthy, experienced and he has the
integrity, respect and the requisite leadership skills to lead and elevate The Gambia.
Saidou Bayo is a Youth Mobiliser, GFA Youth League and also a member of the Central Committee
and Communication Cell of the GFA party.