Political Analyst Biran Gai Decries ‘Politics of Mediocrity,’ Questions Politicians’ Convictions

By Makutu Manneh

Biran Gai, a Gambian political analyst, has criticized what he calls a growing “politics of mediocrity” in The Gambia, arguing that many politicians are driven more by personal ambition than by conviction, ideology, or clearly defined principles.

Speaking on Kerr Fatou, Gai said shifting political loyalties have made it increasingly difficult for voters to determine where politicians truly stand. He said he would not be surprised, for instance, if politicians from newly formed opposition parties such as the National Builders Party eventually aligned themselves with the ruling National People’s Party.

Gai said the movement of politicians from one party to another, including from the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction to the United Democratic Party and then to the NPP, raises questions about the principles underlying their political choices.

“And therefore, Gambian citizens have every right to not trust politicians or to not trust political parties when they speak to them,” he said.

Gai cited Essa Faal, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Mama Kandeh, Momodou Sabally and Seedy Njie while discussing the country’s shifting political alliances. He singled out Mr. Njie, saying he had emerged as one of the NPP’s most influential political recruiters and a prominent party figure despite his role and position during the 2016 political impasse.

The analyst argued that frequent party-switching can amount to a betrayal of voters who supported politicians based on the positions and promises they presented during elections.

He pointed to the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, when divisions emerged among members of the coalition that defeated former President Yahya Jammeh. Some political figures, he said, later aligned themselves with people and groups they had previously campaigned against, often invoking the maxim that there are no permanent enemies in politics.

Gai also argued that The Gambia has yet to develop what he described as a fully participatory political culture. Instead, he said, the country remains caught between parochial and subject-oriented political attitudes, with many citizens yet to fully embrace the concept of a social contract between the government and the governed.

He attributed the problem partly to low levels of political awareness, arguing that support for political parties and candidates is too often based on personal loyalty, longevity in politics, or the belief that a particular politician deserves a turn in power, rather than on policies, ideas, or credible plans for national development.

Such attitudes, Gai said, allow politicians to move between parties and abandon previously held positions without facing sufficient scrutiny or political consequences.

He said the political maneuvering ahead of the December presidential election reflects not only the conduct of the political class but also the broader political culture of the country and the level of engagement among voters.

For Gambian politics to mature, Gai argued, voters must increasingly judge politicians by their principles, policies and plans for the country rather than by personalities, sentiment or party loyalty.