#Headlines

Minister Badjie, others selected by NPP for local gov't election

Mar 13, 2023, 1:06 PM | Article By: Ali Jaw

The incumbent President Adama Barrow's National People's Party (NPP) has selected the current Minister of Youth and Sports, Bakary Y. Badjie and 6 other as candidates to vie for council chairmanship and mayoral positions in the upcoming local government elections.

The Party held its first ever selection of candidates for the forthcoming elections on Wednesday, the 8 of March 2023, at various regions and municipalities across the country.

Thus it has selected various members through primaries, as well as negotiations between the running candidates.

The Party has selected Minister Badjie as candidate for the Kanifing Municipal Council, Ebou Faye for Banjul, Sarja Sarr for Lower River Region, Sulayman Sawaneh for Central River Region (CRR) South, Saikou Jawara for CRR North, Muhammed Ceesay for Upper River Region and Papa Tunkara for North Bank Region.

However, the selection for the chairmanship candidate in West Coast is inconclusive as there was a tie between two candidates, Mr. Ahmed Gitteh and Mr. Seedy Ceesay, the Party said.

This, the national executive committee of the Party shall convene a runoff scheduled on Tuesday at 12:00 noon between Mr. Gitteh and Mr. Ceesay.

"The national executive committee and the party secretariat are appealing for calm to give democracy a chance to prevail in every aspect of the forthcoming selection process," the Party stated in a statement.

"Our party is borne out of the basic tenets of democracy and this was manifested in our last congress, where party delegates have queued throughout the night to elect the party executive.”

It concluded that members of the party disagree to agree but "but the bigger picture is the NPP the progressive peoples movement party."

Meanwhile, the local government elections will be held on 15th April 2023 for councillors and 20th May, 2023 for chairpersons and Mayors.