Dr. Ceesay Dismisses Claims Electricity Crisis Could Cost NPP December Election

By Makutu Manneh

Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, has rejected suggestions that The Gambia’s electricity crisis could cost President Adama Barrow and the ruling National People’s Party alliance the Dec. 5 presidential election, arguing that voters will judge the administration on its broader record.

Speaking on QTV, Dr. Ceesay said voters should weigh the recent power shortages against what he described as significant investments and development gains under Mr. Barrow’s administration.

“Of all the investments and achievements the president has done, I don’t think a single challenge should really cost us the elections,” Dr. Ceesay said. “Gambians are smarter than that.”

He argued that electricity access has expanded considerably under the Barrow administration, particularly in communities that went decades without power.

“Gambians know, for the first time in the history of this country, we have stable, guaranteed electricity in this country,” he said.

His assertion comes amid public frustration over recent power disruptions, which have prompted protests and renewed scrutiny of the government’s management of the electricity sector.

Dr. Ceesay said Gambians understood that governments inevitably encounter difficulties and would consider how the administration responded to the crisis rather than judging it solely on the outages.

He pointed to Banjul as an example of what he described as the administration’s development record, saying the capital had undergone significant improvements since Mr. Barrow took office.

The minister also cited investments in rural communities, including Kabada, where he said residents who had long lacked paved roads, health facilities, schools, ambulances, and electricity had gained access to those services under the current government. He said similar improvements had taken place in Nianija and other previously underserved communities.

Dr. Ceesay also invoked The Gambia’s history of limited electricity access, saying many citizens had lived without power for decades while continuing to participate in elections because they understood that governance involved competing challenges and priorities.

He acknowledged the seriousness of the current electricity problems but said the administration had responded to public concerns. President Barrow, he said, had accepted responsibility, apologized to Gambians, and taken steps aimed at improving the power supply.

The electricity crisis has emerged as a prominent public issue ahead of the December election, with opposition figures and activists criticizing the administration over recurring outages. Dr. Ceesay’s remarks amounted to a defense of the government’s record, arguing that voters should assess the power crisis alongside the administration’s investments in electricity and other infrastructure.