By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
“Whoever is selected here, I will be your Khalid Ibn Wali, I will do the fight for you”, Ahmad Gitteh promised when he was given a minute opportunity to talk to the delegates shortly before the National People’s Party’s March 8 primaries. This happened a few minutes after he signed the pledged document read by Demba Sabally, the First Vice President of the party.
Now that NPP’s ticket is beyond his reach, will Ahmad Gitteh contest as an independent candidate despite signing a pledge to support whoever is selected by the NPP?
On March 8, 2023, at the Regional Education Directorate region 2 hall, Ahmad Gitteh, just like all the six applicants signed a pledge to support whoever is selected by the delegates as the candidate for the party.
After signing the pledge, Gitteh could not win the 8 March primary as announced by Abba Sanyang, and eventually boycotted the runoff claiming foul play and that he had in fact won the first primaries.
When he was given the opportunity to talk to delegates, Gitteh, regarding the pledge for support, said: “If I were a woman, I would have carried the pregnancy of this party in giving birth to it. Whoever is selected here, I will be your Khalid Ibn Wali, I will do all the fight for you,” he uttered, which was greeted with applause.
Gitteh, who claimed to be a founding member of the party, is now expected to go solo against Seedy Ceesay and others for the top seat in the Brikama Area Council.
Even before the NPP’s primary, Gitteh, on many occasions, said he would contest regardless of whether NPP backed him or not. But with the signing of the support pledge and no public resignation from the party yet, will Gitteh go against his party?
Team Gitteh, a group of people backing Gitteh, announced that they will be organizing a press conference tomorrow. It is not clear if Ahmad Gitteh will resign and go against his pledge, but the writing is on the wall for all to read. Let’s see what the May election has in store for us.
