By Seedy Jobe
MC Cham Jnr., business councilor at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), has ramped up his critique of opposition leadership claims, dismissing reliance on past electoral performance as outdated.
“Votes are not hereditary property; they must be earned anew at every election,” Cham stated, stressing that political parties must adapt to evolving voter behavior and the national mood.
In a statement shared on his official Facebook page on Thursday, Cham directly responded to Dr. Ismaila Ceesay’s assertion that excluding the United Democratic Party (UDP) from coalitions would result in failure, describing it as “intellectually lazy and politically obsolete.” He argued that focusing on past vote share ignores current realities, noting, “Securing 25 percent in a previous election does not make any party indispensable.”
Cham presented alternative coalition scenarios, saying, “Remove 25 percent from 100 percent, and 75 percent remains. Half of that is 37.5 percent, more than sufficient for a winning coalition without the UDP.” He added that the UDP’s current appeal has declined: “In reality, the UDP today would struggle to command even 20 percent, such has been the erosion of its appeal.”
Highlighting the importance of credible leadership, Cham stressed, “Coalitions succeed when they rally around the most electable and credible leadership available now, not when they indulge inflated claims to past relevance.” He linked opposition anxiety to Mayor Bensouda’s growing influence, asserting, “Any coalition led by Mayor Bensouda would defeat Adama Barrow decisively, and the National People’s Party knows it. That is the real source of the fear, the desperation, and the noise.”
The exchange underscores mounting debates within the political sphere as The Gambia approaches the 2026 elections.