By Fatou Sillah
Dodou Jah, a member of the NPP, former APRC deputy spokesperson, and political commentator, has cautioned that ongoing coalition negotiations among opposition parties are likely to encounter significant challenges over the selection of a flagbearer.
Speaking in an interview with Kerr Fatou, Jah noted that while political parties often find it easy to agree on forming alliances, disputes typically arise when it comes to choosing a leader. According to him, leadership contests have historically been a source of internal divisions within coalitions.
“The problem is when it comes to who leads, that’s where the problem is,” he said.
Jah further observed that although the coalition talks appear to be progressing slowly, participating parties are reluctant to accept responsibility for the delays. He suggested that stakeholders prefer to maintain a cooperative posture publicly, even when disagreements persist behind the scenes.
“Parties don’t want to take the blame that I am the obstacle to the coalition, they will play along. When it comes to leadership that is when excuses will come, i did not accept because I rejected this because of B,” He explained.
He added that coalition agreements are often structured in ways that allow parties to project unity and inclusivity, while still leaving room to contest leadership decisions later. Jah emphasized that such agreements—commonly referred to as “gentleman’s agreements”—do not carry legal weight under national law.
“No matter how you call it, no matter what you’ve written, signed, stamped, hang it up there, it’s not binding as a law in this country,” he said.
On the legal implications, Jah pointed out that any disputes arising from such agreements would ultimately be resolved based on statutory law rather than informal political arrangements.
“It is not binding as a law in this country, when a new government is ushered in they cannot stick to that. The law says this, you go to court they will sign with the law not with your gentleman’s agreement. The solution is changing the law we have to accept that that is the law,” he stated.
Commenting more broadly on the political landscape, Jah described President Adama Barrow as a calculated and strategic communicator who is deliberate in his public engagements.
“Barrow is a political technician, he knows what to say when to say it where to say it,” he added.
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