Sabally Predicts Barrow Sweep in Foni, Declares West Coast Region an NPP Stronghold

By Makutu Manneh

Demba Sabally, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security, has predicted a decisive victory for President Adama Barrow in the West Coast Region in the December 5 presidential election, declaring that the region is no longer a political battleground but a stronghold of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).

Speaking to Barrow 2026 Media during the president’s Meet-the-People Tour in Serekunda, Mr. Sabally expressed confidence that Mr. Barrow would consolidate his electoral support across the region, including in Foni, where he predicted the president could win all five constituencies.

The minister pointed to the results of the 2021 presidential election, saying Mr. Barrow had secured victory in the West Coast Region, including three of Foni’s five constituencies.

He argued that development projects undertaken by the Barrow administration since 2021 had further strengthened the president’s political standing, making an even larger victory likely in December.

According to Mr. Sabally, the president is well-positioned to win all five Foni constituencies, although he acknowledged that Foni Kansala could remain competitive.

“President Barrow won all the seven constituencies of Kombo in 2021, and this year it will increase. West Coast is no more a battleground; it is President Barrow’s safe zone,” he said.

Mr. Sabally maintained that the administration’s development record had transformed the political landscape in the region, leaving opposition parties with diminishing prospects of challenging the president’s electoral dominance.

Turning to the Kanifing Municipality, the minister acknowledged that the ruling party still had considerable political work to do, particularly because one of the opposition presidential candidates comes from the municipality.

Without naming the candidate, Mr. Sabally criticized his record as mayor, alleging that nearly eight years in office had produced little meaningful development or tangible benefits for residents.

He further claimed that the candidate’s political support was declining, arguing that divisions within the opposition would make it increasingly difficult to challenge President Barrow.

To support his prediction, Mr. Sabally cited the 2021 presidential election, claiming that Mr. Barrow defeated United Democratic Party leader Ousainu Darboe in the Kanifing Municipality by approximately 40,000 votes, despite what he described as greater unity among opposition supporters at the time.

He suggested that the current divisions among opposition parties would further strengthen the president’s electoral prospects in the municipality.

The minister’s remarks reflect the ruling party’s growing confidence as the December presidential election approaches, with Mr. Sabally portraying the West Coast Region as a secure electoral base while acknowledging that the battle for votes in Kanifing remains competitive.