PPP Board of Trustees Officially Recognizes Ousman Madikay Faal as Party Leader

The Board of Trustees of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has formally recognized Ousman Madikay Faal as the rightful Secretary General and Party Leader following the party’s Elective Congress held on December 21, 2024. This decision, announced on March 1, 2025, aims to resolve the leadership dispute that has been ongoing since the congress.

Key points from the Board’s decision:

1. The Board has affirmed that Faal was legitimately elected during the December congress, which was witnessed by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
2. The Board also recognized other elected officials, including Mbemba Nanko as National President, Mamtut Jeng as Deputy National President, Amie Jallow as National Treasurer, and Karafa Sambou as Deputy National Treasurer.
3. The Board rejected claims about constitutional violations, clarifying that Article 14.3(C), which was cited by petitioners as grounds for disqualification, does not exist in the current PPP Constitution. The article was only a proposed amendment that failed to receive the required two-thirds majority vote during the Congress.
4. The Board stated that the PPP Electoral Commission exceeded its authority by continuing to operate after announcing election results and by serving as “both judge and jury” in post-election disputes.
5. The Board has called on former leader Kebba E. Jallow to hand over all party documents, materials, and assets to the new administration and to stop identifying himself as party leader.
6. According to the press release, Kebba E. Jallow had previously accepted the results and congratulated Faal on his new role in an interview with “Coffee Time with Peter Gomez and Kerrfatou.”
7. The Board of Trustees outlined their authority under Article 40 of the PPP constitution, which empowers them to serve as “the embodiment of the party’s conscience,” intervene in disputes, provide counsel, act as impartial arbitrators, foster reconciliation, and ensure peace within the party.
8. The press release highlighted an issue with the Electoral Commission’s composition, noting that according to Article 18.1(2), the Commission should have at least seven members, but the group that made the disqualification decision consisted of only four or five individuals.
9. The Board’s decision aligns with precedents established by the IEC regarding party congresses, specifically the IEC’s position in the PPP 2018 and 2021 elective Congresses, where the commission upheld decisions made during the party Congress.
10. A media advisory was included, urging media organizations to verify the legitimacy of anyone claiming to represent the PPP executive body.
11. The Board recommended that Faal’s new administration prioritize reorganizing the party to ensure all organizational structures and functional bodies operate efficiently, with the Board taking the lead in overseeing this process.
12. The press release concluded with a commitment to transparent communication, assuring party members that the Board would keep them informed about measures being implemented and progress being made.

This development follows months of internal conflict within the PPP, which began immediately after the December congress when the party’s internal Electoral Commission upheld Jallow’s leadership while attempting to disqualify seven candidates, including Faal, despite his election.