By Adama Makasuba
Members of the Central Baddibu and Foni Kansala constituencies have engaged in a heated exchange of accusations following the recent blocking of the diaspora voting bill.
This decision has drawn widespread condemnation and sparked vigorous debate among Gambians at home and abroad. The two lawmakers became embroiled in conflict just days after the 14th clause of the election bill was voted down.
Sulayman Saho, the MP for Central Baddibu, accused his counterpart from Kansala, Almameh Gibba, of misleading his colleagues. During a recent parliamentary session, Saho claimed that Gibba persuaded the Foni members to oppose the diaspora voting clause. He alleged that although the Foni members initially raised their membership tags to support the diaspora voting, they were later instructed by Gibba to lower their tags in protest.
“When these Foni members raised their membership tags, Almameh Gibba coerced them into putting their hands down. I was taken aback by his behavior as an elected MP,” Saho remarked. He further suggested that Gibba perceives any constitutional amendment as a challenge to former President Yahya Jammeh, stating, “He believes that anything related to the constitution threatens Yahya Jammeh.”
In response to Saho’s remarks, Almameh Gibba vehemently denied the accusations and countered by accusing Saho of betraying the minority caucus in parliament. He argued that this caucus was established to challenge the ruling party’s agendas, which hindered the country’s progress. “What I am doing should fall to Sulayman Saho, as he is the chief whip of the minority caucus. However, he has never convened the members. We are operating in isolation. If Sulayman wishes, he can invite me to a debate,” Gibba stated.
He cautioned that the Foni members would not be treated as “pocket lawmakers” by their colleagues. “Who is Sulayman to command me? The people of Kansala elected me, just as Central Baddibu elected him. My rights in parliament are equal to his. They believe they can manipulate us; I am not a pocket MP,” Gibba asserted.
