By: Momodou Justice Darboe
The UDP has derailed President Adama Barrow’s vision to enable the party to rule The Gambia with longevity like how the ANC has been ruling South Africa since the fall of Apartheid in that country, so says the NPP Campaign Manager Lamin Cham.
“President Barrow had the intention to make the UDP like the ANC but it cannot happen because when you look at the 2021 election, Adama intended to stand as a UDP candidate and when he won, he will step down to allow the UDP to choose his successor so that UDP can continue to rule forever,” the NPP chief mobilizer told a political meeting organized to welcome UDP defectors on Sunday. He went on: “But he [Barrow]couldn’t do it and that’s why we built this other compound [NPP]. They dismissed us from the party on their whims and caprices but a political party is about numbers and it’s the people that form an organization. When we went to the 2018 UDP congress at the Paradise Suites Hotel, some told me not to go because there was to be violence there. I told them that I would go there until the end of the congress. When narration is going to be inevitable, you should not rely on hearsay. Go and witness things for yourself. This was why we went to that congress but we knew that[violence] was what was exactly there. Nothing doubted us. We wanted to see things clearly and when we went there and they sent us away, I told people that UDP had been formed by the people but I would form an organization bigger than the UDP. We had 400,000 something votes in the last general election and UDP won around 200,000. That shows that we are twice as powerful as them.”
According to CM Cham, more people will desert the UDP before the 2026 polls. He explained: “I once said the cross-carpeting from the UDP to the NPP will continue. It will continue. Before 2026, I believe the opposition will shrivel. I believe the 2026 election will be easier for the NPP as people are seeing things. Nobody wants violence. Nobody wants to be belittled. Everyone wants to be dignified. There is peace and respect in the NPP and those are the things we radiate. This is why people are embracing us. We have good attributes and these good attributes give rise to peace and wherever you have peace, there will be development. But there is only retardation in a place where you have only insult and violence.”
He then admonished Gambians to radiate peace and love.
“Gambians, let us be peace-loving because it’s the peace that benefits us. Wherever you have peace is the place where you can practice Islam, take care of your family, and work but all these will be elusive without peace. In a place, where there is no peace, it’s everyone for himself and that’s catastrophic,” said the NPP’s chief strategist.
“President Barrow admonishes us to maintain peace. He preaches peace at all times. His peaceful nature stood him out of Africa. Let’s maintain peace. Politics is not about hatred and acrimony. Allah will judge us on how we do politics. Gambia is too tiny for us to be locked in violence. Let us empower the President because he is invested only in a good legacy and serving Gambians. Let’s embrace the NPP for Gambia’s development,” he added.