Essa Mbye Faal
Independent Presidential Aspirant
By Landing Ceesay
Independent Presidential Aspirant Essa Mbye Faal, shortly after submitting his details for his nomination accused the National People’s Party (NPP) of sabotaging his nomination by paying the drivers he already hired more than he offered them.
“We had contracted the Gambia Transport Union at Brikama and we paid for 200 minivans, we ordered another 53 minivans, and further 23 minivans. Guess what they (NPP) did, they went to the garage while these people were preparing to go and they (NPP) came and doubled the money. So that the drivers will refuse to transport our people and they succeeded. We know that they have been sabotaging us since day one. We have beaten them in Banjul, we have beaten them at our nomination, we have beaten them at Buffer Zone, we have beaten them at Brikama Ba, we have beaten them at Gambisara and they know no better than to sabotage,” Mr Faal alleged.
While talking about his run for the presidency, Essa Faal said young men and women of this country have been chanting about their dissatisfaction with the Barrow government that’s why he is running for Presidency.
“The young men and women of this country are speaking loudly. They want change, everyone around the country, people are chanting about their pain, about their distress of this government, about their dissatisfaction with the terrible state of this country. That is why I am standing here today to stand for those loud voices of this enchanting.
“I have never seen such a low play in the politics of this country. I never thought I will witness a day in which democracy will be shackled by this very unpopular government. Wanting it buried but the Gambian youths, young men and women have refused and said no. Come December 4 we will show you, we will bring you down and we will ensure a change in this country. Come December 4 would be the beginning of the new done and the real done for this country. The youth of this country, both men and women have been longing for this. You think you have spoiled our nomination, no, you may have dampened what has happened here today, but you have strengthened our resolve to make sure that come December 4, we change this government and start with rebuilding this country,” he said.
However, contrary to Faal’s claim of contracting the Gambia Transport Union at Brikama, neither him, nor any member of his team showed any proof of the claimed contract between him and the union at Brikama.
This medium will try to obtain the sides of the National People’s Party and the Gambia Transport Union in our subsequent story.
On day 6 of the nomination, independent aspirant Essa Mbye Faal, the NPP leader, and another independent aspirant Sheikh Matarr Niang filed their papers to the IEC between 9:30 am and 2:30 pm.
The nomination of presidential aspirants continues tomorrow at the Election House in Kanifing with the National Unity Party (NUP), Democratic Party (DP) and independent candidate Papa Faal scheduled to appear between 9:30 am and 2:30 pm.
The process would complete on Friday, and the details of the aspirants are on Saturday expected to be published for public scrutiny before the Electoral Commission would either accept or reject them.
For a successful nomination every aspirant should: be a citizen of The Gambia; attain a minimum age of thirty years; complete senior secondary school education; be ordinarily resident in The Gambia for the five years immediately preceding the election; be nominated by not less than five thousand voters whose names appeared in the register of voters with at least two hundred voters being drawn from each Administrative Area; present a sworn declaration of assets; present a tax clearance certificate; make payment of the deposit of Ten-thousand dalasi (D10, 000) as amended; have a representative symbol, colour and his/her photographs; be qualified as a voter under the Constitution and the Election Act may contest as an independent candidate in any election; shall abide by the code on election campaign ethics which the Commission may time to time prepare as a political party/candidate; and submit a manifesto which encourages the spirit of tolerance and multiculturalism.