APP-Sobeyaa Founders Reject NPP Alliance, Call for Essa Faal’s Resignation Ahead of Barrow Meeting

By Staff Writer

A group of founding members and senior officials of APP-Sobeyaa has rejected the party’s proposed alliance with President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party and called for the immediate resignation of party leader Essa Mbye Faal, exposing a deepening internal rift just days before he is expected to formally join the NPP-led alliance.

In a press release dated Sept. 24, the group said Mr. Faal’s decision to align APP-Sobeyaa with the governing NPP was made without following procedures required under the party’s constitution. The statement was signed by six officials and founding members, including Meila Touray, APP-Sobeyaa’s deputy party leader and a founding member of the former All Peoples Party.

The revolt comes at a pivotal moment for Mr. Faal, who is scheduled to meet President Barrow on Sunday as part of plans to formally join the NPP-led alliance ahead of the Dec. 5 presidential election.

APP-Sobeyaa announced earlier this week that it had reached an “agreement in principle” with the NPP, while saying internal consultations with supporters and other stakeholders were continuing.

But the dissenting officials said Thursday that they did not recognize the agreement and accused Mr. Faal of bypassing the party’s decision-making process.

The group said the former APP, which merged with the Sobeyaa movement to create APP-Sobeyaa, had been founded on principles of transparency, accountability and economic development. Mr. Faal was subsequently elected leader of the merged party at its congress on Dec. 21, 2024.

According to the statement, the party’s constitution requires a decision of the magnitude of joining an alliance to be ratified by Congress.

The officials said Mr. Faal had departed from those principles by deciding to join the governing party “without due process,” and argued that his actions violated both the party constitution and its interests.

They called on him to resign as secretary general and party leader, saying that doing so would leave him free to join the NPP in his individual capacity.
“We are not a party to Essa Mbye Faal’s alliance with the NPP,” the group said, adding that further steps would be announced later.

The signatories named Meila Touray, the party’s current deputy leader, to coordinate their next steps.

The dispute raises questions about whether Mr. Faal has sufficient internal authorization to commit APP-Sobeyaa to the NPP alliance.

Earlier this month, APP-Sobeyaa itself said its executive had been mandated only to explore possible alliances and report back, stressing that the ultimate decision on the party’s political alignment rested with its Congress rather than any individual.

The Independent Electoral Commission currently lists Mr. Faal as APP-Sobeyaa’s leader and secretary general.

Mr. Faal’s planned alignment with President Barrow represents a significant political shift. He contested the 2021 presidential election as an independent candidate and has since been an outspoken critic of the Barrow administration.
Reports of discussions between him and the NPP emerged earlier this month before APP-Sobeyaa publicly confirmed that negotiations were underway.

President Barrow publicly invited Mr. Faal to join his political camp during the inauguration of the Gunjur seaside road on Sept. 19, telling him and other opposition figures to join the governing alliance ahead of the December election.

The latest challenge from within APP-Sobeyaa now places the party’s internal divisions at the center of that political realignment, with Mr. Faal’s anticipated Sunday meeting with President Barrow approaching and the dissenting faction insisting that he does not have its blessing to take the party with him.