By: Haddy Touray
A group of founding members and officials of the All Peoples Party-Sobeyaa (APP-Sobeyaa) has rejected the party’s proposed alliance with the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) and called for the resignation of party leader Essa Mbye Faal.
In a statement dated 24 September, the group said Faal’s decision to align APP-Sobeyaa with the NPP had not followed procedures required under the party’s constitution.
The statement was signed by six party officials and founding members, including Deputy Party Leader Maila Touray, who was identified as the coordinator of the group’s next steps.
The dissenting group said it did not recognise the proposed alliance and accused Faal of exceeding his authority by committing the party to the arrangement without approval from Congress.
It called on Faal to resign as party leader and secretary general, arguing that he would then be free to join the NPP in his individual capacity.
“We are not a party to Essa Mbye Faal’s alliance with the NPP,” the group said.
The dispute follows APP-Sobeyaa’s announcement earlier this month that its executive had been mandated by Congress to explore possible alliances and report back to the party.
The party subsequently announced on 22 September that it had reached an agreement in principle with the NPP, while stressing that consultations with supporters and stakeholders were continuing.
However, APP-Sobeyaa issued a separate response on 25 September rejecting the dissenting statement and defending the alliance process.
The party said the signatories did not have a mandate to speak on behalf of APP-Sobeyaa and that only one of them currently served on its Executive Committee.
According to the party, its National Executive had acted under a mandate from Congress and had consulted regional chairpersons before voting in favour of the alliance.
APP-Sobeyaa said the decision was therefore not Faal’s personal decision but one taken through what it described as the party’s recognised leadership structures.
The competing statements have created an internal dispute over the authority to commit APP-Sobeyaa to an alliance with the NPP ahead of the 5 December presidential election.
The Independent Electoral Commission currently lists Faal as APP-Sobeyaa’s leader and secretary general.
The disagreement comes as Faal’s political alignment with the governing NPP represents a shift from his previous opposition to the Barrow administration. APP-Sobeyaa has said the proposed alliance is based on its stated policy priorities and national development agenda.
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