The leader of the former ruling APRC Fabakary Tombong Jatta has declared that no other APRC party exists in The Gambia, except the APRC under his leadership.
Mr. Jatta made this declaration a few weeks after the former Gambian dictator and founder of the APRC reasserted his authority over the APRC in an audio recording.
The current leader of one of the APRC factions was in the former stronghold of ex-President Yahya Jammeh in Foni, where he made an undertaking that the wrangling in the larger APRC must end.
“The reason the situation has been unfolding like this is because we were of the belief that this is a family dispute and we will eventually reach a common ground, but it’s blowing out of proportion,”Jatta, who is also the speaker of the Gambia’s legislature, told the people of Foni, who gathered for a political meeting in Kampant on Saturday.
The House Speaker warned that no one has the authority to use the APRC acronym and its symbols, except the APRC under his leadership.
“What I would like to put across is that it cannot forever remain as it is. And those of you following them should know that there is no truth in it[ the claim] because when it’s time to vie [in elections], they do not vie under our ticket, but under an independent ticket.
When it’s time to run [in elections], they do not use green but another colour, when it’s time to stand, they do not use our symbol but another symbol. So, the reason they present themselves as APRC is because they are deceiving you,” he stated. “And the most terrible child among all children is the child that deceives the father. Tell the truth no matter how difficult it might be. Let us return to our original form. Our doors are open. Let’s fly the green flag. APRC is not an inconsequential party and we are not novices in politics, but there’s a limit to everything.”
Earlier on, the APRC leader suggested that any person or group of people, claiming control over APRC, are just deceiving themselves.
“If you deceive yourself of having a wife, it shall be crystal clear when bedtime comes,” he stated and his remark was received with cheers and laughter from the audience.
He continued to say: “My people of Foni, what also baffles me is that I, Fabakary and my executive, no matter how bad we might be, I swear that you cannot compare us to the UDP. If we see that, then we will know something has gone badly. All that we have passed through until Satan is able to drive a wedge between us.”
