The former lead counsel of TRRC Essa Faal has called on the opposition parties to form a strong coalition in order to defeat Adama Barrow at the polls on December 4.

Faal, a presidential aspirant running on an independent ticket, is among six qualified candidates to run for next month’s presidential election that will see nearly a million eligible Gambian voters cast their ballots.

In an exclusive interview with Gambiana, Mr Faal said: “I do hope that political leaders would see it fitting to sit together and try to come up with a formula that would work, a formula that can produce the desire of the people.

“In plain terms I am calling for a very strong coalition of like-minded entities of politicians to come together by way of coalition and choose a leader that is capable of winning and a leader that is capable of delivering for change.”

The lawyer turned politician added: “I know that time is running out but it is still possible, we just have to put aside some of the factors that inhibit the possibility of that happening. 

“I do want to believe that all concerns have the best interest of the country at heart and I also want to believe that this is the reason why all of us are running for presidency.”

Faal continued: “It shouldn’t be too difficult for us to sit together [and] put aside some of the inhibiting factors and think country and then try to put together what we believe would deliver on the wishes of The Gambian people which is a strong coalition capable of defeating the government that we have today and put in place the [system] change so badly we wished for.

“I would reiterate the call to my colleagues to step up for all of us. I mean not only them, including myself, for all of us to step up and put aside our individual wishes.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba