Opinion
By: Drammeh Kangi
The race for the chairmanship seat of the Brikama Area Council is not only a race between UDP’s Yankuba Darboe and NPP’s Seedy Sheriff Ceesay. They are the two biggest political parties right now, however, have you seen the bustling crowd that Ahmad Gitteh and Ibrahim JS Sanneh pulled out on nomination day? Well, those crowds were not taken from Kampala or pictured at the ferry terminal heading to Brikama. Shall we downplay the potential of PPP’s Jainaba Bah? This race will be tough, and it will undoubtedly be tight. It can’t be a two-horse race, as thought by many. This is now beyond a two-horse race. It is three or four.
Clearly, the United Democratic Party won the majority of seats in the councillorship election, which has actually propelled Yankuba Darboe to be the favourite to win the race. Whoever has that in mind, the person isn’t wrong. They have all the right to say he will win outright based on the recent election, but things will not be as how many people think it will be.
Now, let me tell you why this race will not be only between NPP and UDP.
These two parties will obviously continue to compete for crowds and will not stop taunting each other in their gatherings. They have crowds, let’s give them that. However, Ibrahim JS Sanneh, the APRC No-To-Alliance Movement-backed candidate, produced a bustling crowd. Knowing the recent trajectory of elections in the West Coast Region in the post-Jammeh era, we can conclude that he will conquer the Fonies. But do you know Ibrahim actually lives in Brikama?
He lives in Brikama. He was born and brought up in Brikama. He has a spacious group of friends. His family members, most of them are NPP supporters and a few of them, are UDP. Considering this, any candidate who isn’t concerned with Ibrahim JS Sanneh’s chances of winning will be playing with a silent assassin.
And now, Ahmad Giiteh! He is going solo, rejected and felt dejected for being betrayed by the NPP, one thing that both UDP and NPP will agree that Gitteh is a smart being with loads of influence. It will be unfair to Ebrima Sillah if one said Ahmad Gitteh alone won it for Barrow in the West Coast Region in 2021, but his role and efforts in touring the region are on the surface for everyone. He has ever been bullish about being the next chairman of the Brikama Area Council. The crowd that followed him on his nomination confirmed the threat that Gitteh can pose to both Yankuba Darboe and Seedy Ceesay in the race, even though these two are backed by their parties.
For Yankuba Darboe, he has the backing of the party, but not all that supported the previous UDP candidates will follow him. He is still the favourite to win, but being too confident will mislead him to either Nyambai Forest or Bonto.
Seedy Sherrif Ceesay is probably the least famous candidate put up by NPP. He was helped in becoming the party’s candidate and now, his chances of winning, despite being backed by the ruling party, are like a snowball’s chance in hell. He is unpopular in the region. Likewise, he thought the crowd that accompanied him to file in his nomination was enough to know that he will win, but by now, he must have realized that wouldn’t be enough. This was on Sunday. I am sure he knows and saw the crowd that followed Yankuba Darboe, Ahmad Gitteh and Ibrahim JS Sanneh.
It will be extremely hard for PPP’s Jainaba Bah to win, but many should comprehend that she will take votes from both UDP and NPP, making the contest a very tight contest considering the followers of Gitteh and Ibrahim JS Sanneh.
So, believe me, the race for the top seat at the Brikama Area Council cannot be a two-horse race. It is beyond that.
