By Lamin Fatty
Speaking to journalists after filing his nomination papers to the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) Returning Officer in Basse on Thursday, March 10, 2022, incumbent candidate for Wulli West Sidia Jatta, said serving his people has nothing to do with his age.
“My commitment to serve my people has nothing to do with my age. Instead, it has something to do with my health, my physical strength and my mind. As long as my mind is serving me and I am physically fit, I am always committed to serve my people,” Jatta said.
When asked about his confidence to win the upcoming election as he is going to contest against three other candidates, Jatta indicated that he will not face a fierce election in Wulli more than what he had in the past
“There will be no election for me again in Wulli as fearce as the ones I have fought and won in the past. It is not me, but the people of Wulli who will decide. Let us see how they will decide this time also,” he said.
Mr. Sidia Jatta said his commitment to serve his people has nothing to do with his age.
Mr. Jatta made these comments during his interview with journalists on Thursday, 10 March 2022, after filing his nomination papers with the IEC’s Regional Returning Offficer for Basse.
“My commitment to serve my people has nothing to do with my age. Instead it has something to do with my health, my physical strength and my mind. As long as my mind is serving me and I am physically fit, I am always committed to serve my people,” Sidia told waiting journalists.
When asked about his confidence to win the upcoming election as he is going to contest against three other candidates, Sidia indicated that he will not encounter fearce elections in Wulli, more than what he had gone through in the past.
“There will be no election for me again in Wulli, as fierce as the ones I have fought and have won them in the past. It is not me, it is the people of wulli who can decide, and let us see how are they going to decide this time also,” he postulated.
According to Sidia, the electorate of his constituency will have to choose from two rooms, whose keys are in their possession, adding that one of the rooms is ill representation and suffering, and the other is proper representation. He urged the electorate to carefully watch and listen to the candidates and their agenda, so that on the day of the election, they will be able to distinguish which key to use to enter one of these two rooms.
Meanwhile, two other PDOIS candidates in the person’s of Suwaibou Touray, the incumbent candidate for Wulli East and Ansu T.S. Sonko, the PDOIS candidate for Kantora district, also submitted their nomination credentials to the IEC’s Regional Returning Officer for Basse on Wednesday.
Incumbent candidate Suwaibu Touray said he is seeking re-election to accomplish some of the tasks he has already started at the National Assembly, for the betterment of his people and the Gambia in general.
“The original task for Coalition 2016 was to come up with a new Constitution that will usher this country into a democracy that will be examplary for countries to emulate. And I believe that we have not accomplished that task for various reasons and there is no blame game. But my aim and aspiration is to ensure [a] new Constitution that will lead the Gambian people to live in dignity, prosperity and freedom,” he said; adding that there are lots of issues pending at the National Assembly’s select committees, and these include the Constitution Review Committee and the Petition’s Committee of which he is part of.
For his part, the PDOIS candidate for Kantora constituency Ansu T.S. Sonko, said he is contesting because he believes that it is only through the programs and policies of PDOIS that Gambia can eradicate poverty.
“Gambia is full of imitation and as a result there are lots of human right violations existing in this country. There are human rights violations like right to life, right to education, good health care system and right to access to clean drinking water, to which our representatives have turned a blind eye and deaf ear,” Sonko said, pledging to advocate the adherence of these rights when he is elected into office.
