Africa-Press – Gambia. Five candidates who have been backed by former president Yahya Jammeh against APRC have retaken Foñi. The former ruling party split in November after Jammeh announced the arbitrary sacking of Fabakary Tombong Jatta and his executive members for coalescing with the governing National People’s Party.
The split created rivalry in Foñi between Jatta’s APRC and Jammeh’s which came to be known as the No Alliance Movement (NAM), which went on to back GDC’s Mamma Kandeh in December’s presidential election.
Saturday’s parliamentary election provided the first test of both side’s popularity in Foñi, with the FTJ faction enjoying incumbency. However, it was a hammer blow for the green party as the NAM candidates beat them in all five constituencies in Foñi.
Bakary K Badjie in Foñi Bintang; Almamy Gibba in Foñi Kansala; Pa Dembo Sanneh in Foñi Bondali; Amie Colley in Foñi Berefet; and Kebba Tumanding Sanneh in Foñi Jarrol walloped the incumbents, including former regional governor and local government minister Musa ‘Amul’ Nyassi.
Since the NPP and the FTJ-led APRC were in coalition, the parliamentarians openly backed President Barrow to the displeasure of the exiled former president.
By sweeping polls throughout Foñi with his selected candidates, however, Jammeh is effectively back in control of the region. The FTJ faction only won Jeshwang and Bundungka Kunda.
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