The election of Papa Njie as Secretary General and party leader of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has plunged the party into turmoil. Some members of the National Executive Committee are challenging the legality of the election results and alleging “serious irregularities and intimidation.”

In a letter captioned “Observations on the Election Result of the PPP National Congress 2018” and signed by the party’s interim president, Alhaji Yahya Ceesay and other executive members, it was alleged that proper party procedures where not followed and that the election process was skewed in favour of Papa Njie.

“The process of registering constituency delegates and the campaign leading to voting were marred by serious irregularities which are now coming to light. These include bribery of delegates, intimidation of delegates by withholding transport funds and food, and registration of unqualified constituency delegates. These undemocratic practices are contrary to the principles, the values and the practices of the PPP,” they alleged.

“In the light of the aforementioned inconsistencies and irregularities in the balloting and voting process, which are sufficiently serious to undermine the credibility of the election process, we hereby reject outright the results from the PPP 30 December 2018 election as we feel it did not reflect the true wishes of the bona-fide members of the Party that met to elect their party leader. We shall pursue this matter further to ensure that truth prevails and the Gambian people shall be kept informed,” the letter stated.

The other co-signatories of the letter were Hon Dudu Taal and Hon Kalilou Singhateh, Members of the National Executive Committee.

Meanwhile the former leader of the party, Omar Jallow, has robustly defended the electoral process that saw Papa Njie, a political novice, emerged as the winner against the favourite BB Darboe, a PPP grandee and former Vice President of The Gambia.

“For us, it was a shock that some people tried to speak on behalf of the executive committee when the executive committee had not met,” Jallow said.

“We have consulted with all members of the national executive and a lot of them said they were aware of a meeting where it was decided that some members were not in agreement with the congress and the process that took place. Three people cannot speak for the vast majority of the members,” he added.

This was the first party congress convened by the National Executive Committee after nineteen years. The election at the congress was overseen by the Independent Electoral Commission.