By Arret Jatta
Essa Faal has declared that President Adama Barrow has already won the December presidential election, as he formally joined the grand coalition with the National People’s Party (NPP).
Faal made the declaration during the formalisation of the alliance between his All People’s Party-Sobeyaa (APP-Sobeyaa) and the NPP at the State House yesterday.
Faal said he was going to “speak to Gambians from [his] heart” and address the discussions surrounding his political decision.
“Today I’m going to put my speech aside and talk to Gambians from my heart. Right now, we Gambians need to talk,” Faal said.
He dismissed claims that he was offered money to join the governing party.
“They have paid liars and said Essa doesn’t have anything else, Essa doesn’t even have a job, the president gave him US$10 million, this and that. All of that is not true,” he said.
Faal said he “carefully considered” the political situation before making his decision.
“Essa looked at the situation and knew that this is not my place. You know why? I only see The Gambia. I only see the country,” he said.
He also rejected the suggestion that he was in dire financial strait and needed succour and that was why he joined the coalition.
“Whoever sees me knows that I don’t need anyone’s feeding money. God has given me a knowledge that is undoubted,” Faal said.
Faal referred to his international legal work and said after his failed bid in the 2021 presidential election, the International Criminal Court hired him at The Hague to investigate a case and assist with the work.
He said his experience meant he did not need certain things from politicians.
Faal also called for respect in political disagreements.
“Politics goes with disagreements,” he said, adding that people can disagree but it should be done within the remit of “respect and calm”.
He warned against politics based on insults and violence, saying such politics will self-destruct on the bonfire of vanity.
The alliance brings Faal, who has been an avid critic of the Barrow administration, into the president’s camp ahead of the presidential election.
Faal said the decision to work with Barrow was based on “a shared vision” for the country.
He also expressed his confidence in Barrow’s chances in the December election, declaring that the president had already secured victory.
“This is no longer game over; this is dead and buried, Barrow has already won!” he declared.
Meanwhile, President Barrow described the joining of Sobeyaa movement leader Essa Faal into his grand alliance as a historic development in the history of the country’s politics and urged other opposition leaders including UDP leader Ousainu Darboe to follow suit, saying the election is over.
He assured Mr Faal that he will be given his due as an equal partner in the alliance and urged him to ignore negatives comments and instead walk with pride in the streets.
“Anybody who joins the president to run the country should be proud of his action,” Barrow noted.
He said the coming of Faal has even arithmetically settled the election. “In 202I, I scored over 50 per cent of the votes; Mamma Kandeh 11 per cent; and Essa Fall 3 per cent. These figures combined already shows the election is over,” he said.
The president said “smart people” are alive to “situational realities” and take the right decisions which is what Essa Faal did.