President Adama Barrow’s “Meet the People” tour in Foni Bondali, a Jammeh stronghold in The Gambia’s West Coast Region, drew a disappointingly sparse crowd today, fueling speculation of waning support just two weeks after Yahya Jammeh loyalists mobilized to spruce up the ousted dictator’s family home in anticipation of his rumored November return.
The lackluster reception in Foni—once a bastion of Jammeh’s 22-year rule—has exposed deepening political fault lines, with critics whispering of orchestrated sabotage amid Jammeh’s lingering influence. On November 8, hundreds of supporters from Jammeh’s APRC party descended on Kanilai, Jammeh’s birthplace, armed with brooms and paintbrushes to refurbish his residence. The event, billed as a “homecoming preparation,” underscored the ex-president’s enduring grip on rural voters, even from exile in Equatorial Guinea.
Enter West Coast Deputy Governor Musa Amul Nyassi, who unleashed a fiery broadside at local imams and alkalos during the tour’s close. “You accepted the monthly allowances we introduced for village heads—the first government to do so—but can’t muster the energy to welcome your president?” Nyassi thundered, his voice echoing frustration over the empty chairs and half-hearted cheers. “It’s time to choose: loyalty to the people or shadows of the past?”
Nyassi’s outburst has ignited a firestorm. Community leaders decried it as “patronizing,” while Barrow allies hailed it as a wake-up call. Opposition voices, including Jammeh’s supporters and proxies, dismissed the tour as “tone-deaf,” predicting a “Foni awakening” if the former strongman re-enters the fray.
Adding his voice, Demba Sabally, Minister of Agriculture, told the people of Foni that former President Yahya Jammeh will never return to the Gambia, as he is a fugitive awaiting justice. He reminded them of the developments President Barrow has brought to the Foni since assuming power in 2017.
As Gambia edges toward 2026 polls, this clash signals a high-stakes showdown: Barrow’s development pitch versus Jammeh’s nostalgic pull. With turnout below 20% by unofficial estimates, the president’s team now scrambles to reclaim ground in a region that could tip the scales.
