By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
The president of the Gambia Football Federation, Lamin Kaba Bajo, has admitted to gathering football delegates at a hotel a night before the election but denied inducing voters.
President Bajo was accused by his opponent Sadibou Kamaso, who alleged that Mister Bajo and his team induced and coerced delegates into voting for him in his re-election to continue serving as the head of the country’s football governing body for another four years. Kaba Bajo boldly told the press that it was not an allegation but a reality that he gathered delegates at a hotel. However, he dismissed the inducement claimed submitted by Sadibou Kamaso.
“It is not an allegation. It is a reality. We have two teams and every team, you go with your people and talk to them. The people who have identified themselves with me came together so that we can further organize ourselves and prepare for the election,” he voiced.
He went on further: “I will not tell you that we induce them. These people are highly respected. Some of them were there, but they came here and voted against us.”
Mister Sadibou Kamaso, who lost the election to his former boss said that President Bajo and his team connived with most of the delegates to sit together on the same side in the hall so that they can monitor what they will be doing, a sitting arrangement he questioned; blaming the electoral committee of working for Team Kaba.
In the run-up to the election, Mister Lamin Kaba Bajo told The Fatu Network that Sadibou is his special younger brother. However, yesterday, he expressed his disappointment with Sadibou, whom he was expecting a congratulatory remark from but never received. He said that he is disappointed in Kamaso’s failure to congratulate him.
“I am disappointed because I knew how highly contested the election would be. I expect a form of congratulations from my opponent. It is a big disappointment,” he expressed.
However, Sadibou Kamaso, who questioned the whole process leading to the election, uttered that he cannot congratulate President Bajo because he flawed the Constitution.
“I don’t have to congratulate someone who flawed all the rules of the Constitution in terms of the electoral process,” Kamaso said.
He explained that Bajo amended the Constitution in his favour by bringing in the position of 4th Vice President. Kamaso argued that that could have been done earlier and not in the morning of the elections.
When Sadibou lost to Lamin Kaba Bajo by 25 votes to 51, his team members withdrew their candidatures in all other elected positions.
Lamin Kaba Bajo’s new executive team after the election includes Bakary Jammeh as vice President, Ebou Faye as second Vice President, Numukunda Kanyi as third Vice President, Imaila S. Ceesay, John Frank Mendy, Maimuna Kanteh and Arret Njie Jah as Executive Committee Members.
