By Buba Gagigo
Demba Sabally, the Deputy National President of the National People’s Party (NPP) and Minister of Agriculture has said that one of the reasons he left the opposition Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) was their association with the United Democratic Party (UDP) during a by-election in Niamina West.
“The Niamina bye-election and the joining of the so-called support from UDP. Naturally, I am an ardent opponent of UDP (from the beginning), and that I made clear even before they started to sympathize with GDC. I made my point very clear that I will not be part of anything that will be associated with the UDP. Because I don’t believe in their view of the future of this country. Since I don’t believe in their view of the future of this country, I will not be associated with them. And it was almost like a decision that we should associate with them during the by-election,” he said.
He cited President Barrow’s respect for fundamental rights and media freedom as other reasons for joining the president’s National People’s Party.
“There are a few important things that are very important to me in any political field or party. And most of those, almost all, I observed in President Adama Barrow. That was his strong belief in democracy, his strong belief in giving people their fundamental rights. The media freedom, he expanded the space and also all the works that were ongoing,” he told Kerr Fatou’s weekly public affairs show, The Brunch.
Demba Sabally, the National People’s Party (NPP) Deputy National President and Minister of Agriculture was the National President of the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) before his defection to the president’s camp.