Lamin Touray, Amadou Sowe And Yusuf Konateh
By Buba Gagigo
During an interview on Kerr Fatou, Yusuf Konateh, the Project Manager at Ginkon Foundation, suggested that if the current situation within the National People’s Party (NPP) does not change, they will advise Kebba Madi Bojang to leave the party.
Konateh criticized the NPP National Executive, labeling them as selfish.
Kebba Madi Bojang, the National Youth President of the NPP, has been accused of forming his own political party, an allegation he strongly denies, calling it baseless.
“Kebba has different principles with them (NPP National Executive), I will be candid. They are selfish and Kebba is not selfish. Kebba is looking at the General interest of the party members, if they are selfish and not looking at the General member’s problems, kebba will not be with them. He made a request, to look into the people that suffered in the party. If the status quo remains the same we are not going to advise him to stay there. If you are working With people and you have a difference why should you continue? It is very clear to everybody that there are differences,” Yusuf Konateh, Project Manager at Ginkon Foundation says.
Konateh emphasized that everything Kebba does is aimed at helping President Barrow secure a win in 2026. If the NPP National Executive perceives him differently, that’s their issue.
“I am talking about the National Executive I will not hide the fact to you. Nobody is going to force Kebba out of this party, I know how much Kebba invested into this party, over millions. I am the one administering Kebba, he has never said he will form a party,” he said.
Lamin Touray, the Deputy PRO of the NPP National Executive, who also appeared on Kerr Fatou, dismissed the allegations that Kebba Madi formed another political party.
“Kebba will not form another party because he had already formed a party which is the National People’s Party. Am not saying he owns NPP but the party was formed because of his hard work. He initiated the Barrow Fans Club after Lamin Khan’s Fans Club. He advised the women in Lamin Khan’s fans club to change the name to Barrow Fans Club because Barrow is the president. So if People start excusing him of forming a political party I will say it is not true. There’s betrayal and wickedness behind all these accusations. This is the second time they are accusing him but none of the accusations are true,” Lamin Touray said.
Touray reiterated that Kebba’s commitment to the NPP remains unchanged.
“Kebba started helping people before NPP and people in UDP where he was, know what I am saying. That is the same effort he continued in NPP. So whatever position is given to him in NPP, he had already got it before. National Youth President is just a name but Kebba was doing the job of this position before it was given to him. NPP gave him a position but didn’t help him to fulfill the position but that didn’t prevent him from doing what he should do.
“He started helping the Youths a long time ago. Just go to his office and you will understand what I am saying. You give him a position and don’t give him what will help to move the position but he’s doing everything to fulfill his position. They give him a position while his hands are on the chest they removed the head but despite removing the head he’s still doing what is supposed to do,” Lamin Touray said.
Touray also acknowledged the presence of different factions within the NPP and identified himself as part of Kebba Madi Bojang’s faction.
“I am In Kebba’s ‘Kabudu’ because for me I described these groups as moving with your friends. But if Kabudu is about destroying I don’t belong to any. I know Kebba’s ‘Kabudu’ is doing positive things. Whether people believe us or not that is not important, what is important to us is about what we are doing,” he said.
Touray further explained that Team Kebba was formed in response to the dissatisfaction among party members following President Barrow’s swearing-in ceremony.
“Our NPP supporters didn’t come out to vote that’s why we lost the elections. The people we campaigned with in 2021 all relaxed during the subsequent elections that’s why we lost. Team Kebba was formed to reunite all these people. Our people didn’t vote for other political parties but they declined to vote that’s why we lost. Kebba was not even aware when this group was formed, they had several meetings before he was informed about it. The first thing that got some of our people angry was during the swearing-in of the president when he won.
“The women in NPP saw their ‘Asobees’ across the country, the Youths did the same. They did all those preparations and came to the Independent Stadium but the door was not open for everybody to enter. Enough Vehicles were not provided to transport people, so a lot of people got angry. The problems started immediately after the swearing-in ceremony. That’s why during the past elections I used my vehicles to convince people to vote but they declined,” he explained.
Amadou Sowe, Chairman of Team Kebba, also denied that their group is a political movement aimed at helping Kebba Madi Bojang form a new party.
“We all know that we lost the parliamentary, mayor’s and councilors elections. So obviously some people will be discouraged. So also could not maintain their positions during our congress. We realized that the people who we do things with, in 2021, don’t appear when we call for meetings. This is the reason the young people initiated this group so that all these people can come back. Ebrima Manneh from Tujereng informed me about it and I told him it is a good initiative. We formed a task force and they made me the chairman,” he said.
He added that interest in joining the group extended beyond Kombo South, leading to its expansion and renaming as Team Kebba.
“That was the time we said the group is now beyond Kombo South. We discussed and renamed the group as team Kebba. We chose his name because when he was informed about the group he supported it hundred percent. He pledged to give cars for movement and fuel and he did that. But the aim of the group is just to reunite people in NPP and nothing else. They are afraid because when Kebba calls the team Kebba and Ginkon brothers and sisters all will come out and that’s a lot of people. They are scared because they don’t have that crowd, that’s the problem in NPP,” he said.