Sheriff Mustapha Dibba

Sheriff Mustapha Dibba (10 January 1937 – 2 June 2008) was a Gambian politician who was the 1st Vice-President of the Gambia from 1970 to 1972 and the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Gambia from 2002 to 2006. He was also the founding leader of the National Convention Party (NCP).

Early life and education Dibba was the son of Mustapha Dibba, a Mandinka chief and farmer. His father would later become the district chief of Central Baddibu in 1967. He was born in Salikene, Central Baddibu in January 1937. After the 1966 elections, he was appointed Minister of Works and Communications and replaced Sheriff Sisay as Minister of Finance of the Gambia in December 1967.

Following the overthrow of the Jawara government in 1994, the NCP and other political parties were banned. The ban on the NCP was lifted in mid-2001 and Dibba ran for president a fourth time at the presidential elections held on 18 October of that year. He was defeated by incumbent president Yahya Jammeh and placed fourth out of five candidates, winning 3.8% of the vote. Dibba himself was over 65 years old by this time and was therefore not eligible to run. Nevertheless, after his release, Dibba reaffirmed his loyalty to president Jammeh. He later retired from politics prior to his death.