By Buba Gagigo
Essa Dampha, a prominent supporter of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), has described the recent by-election in the Massembeh Ward—where his party was defeated by the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP)—as a positive outcome for the NPP.
In the by-election, UDP candidate Bakary S. Jarju emerged victorious, securing the councilor seat with 700 votes (57.7%), while NPP’s Lamin Jarju received 513 votes (42.3%).
Dampha emphasized the importance of contesting elections regardless of the outcome, stating that political parties should engage in every electoral process.
“My position has always been clear—there is no such thing as a big or small election. A political party is a national institution, and it should not selectively participate in elections. Instead, it should present candidates, invest resources, campaign, and compete, regardless of whether the area is considered a stronghold or not. That is exactly what the NPP did. We fielded a candidate, conducted our campaign, and although we did not win, we still view it as a success,” Dampha said.
He reaffirmed the NPP’s commitment to contesting all elections in the country unless doing so would affect its coalition partners.
“It is ultimately up to the people to decide whether to vote for us or not, but that will not deter us from participating. Our engagement in Kiang was a step forward because it allowed us to reach households we previously could not access. Our message was delivered, and we even saw an increase in our vote count in the area. For us, that is a gain,” he concluded.