LG elections: Urban voters reject NPP
The ruling National People’s Party (NPP) led by President Adama Barrow, has suffered humiliating defeats in the urban areas at the hands of the country’s strongest opposition party, the United Democratic Party (UDP).
Despite his massive victory during the Presidential Election, voters rejected the NPP in the urban settlements in three consecutive local government elections. The party also lost mayoral election in Banjul, the capital city.
President Barrow was out throughout the campaign period to support his candidates to get the respective local government seats. In the urban settlements, his party lost all councillor seats except one and lost the Mayoral in the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) and the Banjul City Council (BCC). The President’s party also lost the chairperson seat for Brikama Area Council (BAC) in the urban settlement.
During the observation of the electoral process, the domestic observers alleged President Barrow’s party buying votes as well violating the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) campaign and election ethics. However, that was not enough for the ruling party to win the hearts of many urban voters, especially in the capital city of Banjul.
According to the official results from the IEC, UDP’s Roheyatou Lowe alias Rohey Malick Lowe, the incumbent mayor of Banjul was re-elected as the Mayor of Banjul with 8299 votes while NPP candidate Ebou Faye secured 6992 votes.
In KMC, UDP’s Talib Ahmed Bensouda secured reelection with 56, 094 votes while his closest rival NPP’s Bakary Badjie got 42,432 and independent candidate Pa Modou Mbowe got 5,092 votes.
In BAC, UDP’s Yankuba Darboe secured his first term with 77,946 votes, Seedy Sheriff Ceesay of the NPP scored 52,429 votes, Jainaba Bah of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) got 2,023 while Independent candidate Ebrima J.S. Sanneh got 24,558. Yankuba Barrow got 1,341, Amadou Mukhtar Cham 1,127, Salieu Jallow 1,022, Amadou Gitteh 6,718 and Bai Sey Jawo 1183.
Known to be more popular in the rural settlements, President Adama Barrow once again won all rural Chairperson Seats except the Lower River Region (LRR) which is believed to be UDP’s dominant area. President Barrow, who was very optimistic about winning all seats, his candidate for Kerewan Area Council, Papa Tunkara won with 24, 130 votes followed by UDP’s Malamin I.L. Bojang with 22, 572 votes and Independent Babou Kebbeh amassed 2, 475 votes.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) also declared NPP’s Saihou Jawara as the winner of the Kuntaur Area Council chairmanship with 13,681 votes while the candidate for the Gambia for All (GFA) Abdoulie Keita secured 1,227 votes and UDP’s Alhagie SB Sillah got 10,365 votes.
Sulayman Sawaneh of the NPP won the Chairperson seat for Janjangbureh Area Council with 11,924 votes followed by UDP Malick Sowe with 8,225 votes. Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) Haruna Barry secured 2,614 votes, and Independent Alhagie A.S. Boye scored 1458 votes.
President Barrow party massively won in his native region, Upper River Region (URR). His NPP’s candidate Mamadou Ceesay secured a resounding victory with 28,902 votes, while UDP’s Foday Danjo lost with 8,947 votes whereas PDOIS Karamo Touray got 3,796 votes.
Of the total seats for the Mayoral and Chairpersons elections, the ruling NPP secured four seats, UDP also secured four seats while independents and other parties could not secure a seat.
It is important to note that the opposition UDP won all mayoral seats (2). In total, the ruling NPP secured 193, 245 votes (46%) nationwide while the opposition UDP got 207, 984 votes (50%) nationwide and independent candidates secured 16, 662 votes (4%). Out of the 962,157 registered voters, only 417,891 cast their votes.
Many people have linked President Barrow’s total urban defeat with the hardship Gambians face as well the recent increment of electricity and water bills, high cost of living and high rate of unemployment.
Source: The Point
