By: Momodou Justice Darboe
The NPP’s campaign manager Mr. Lamin Cham has made an impassioned call on the people of Baddibu to break with the area’s past as a traditional opposition heartland and throw their full weight behind President Adama Barrow and the NPP.
The NPP chief strategist recently said at the inauguration of the NPP bureau in Baddibu Kerawan that the people of Baddibuwere instrumental in President Adama Barrow’s rise to power but they could bite their fingers if they continue to remain in the opposition.
“The people of Kerewan, the Adama that you voted for in 2016 is the same Adama ruling. Do not throw away whom you have created for someone to take ownership of. If you do, you’ll hugely regret it,” stressed Mr. Cham.
“I heard from Ba-Kawsu [Fofana] one day that people may have fractious relations but they should not cut their ties. There was friction in 2021 on the part of some Baddibunkas. But Baddibou, you have reached a juncture at which you need to look back. If you run and run but cannot find your destination, turn back and reconsider which direction to take next,” stated Cham.
According to him, Baddibu is a traditional stronghold for the opposition but the people of Baddibou need to temper their opposition politics.
“Shun opposition politics. You formed the building block of the UDP. The reason for forming a political party is to seek political office. You founded the UDP, chose a UDP member to lead [the coalition] and he emerged as the President yet you decided to turn your back on him only to follow someone else. You have lost the direction and it will lead to a massive regret that you’ll never forget,” he added.
The NPP campaign manager said he disagreed with the popular local saying that Baddibou is a university of politics.
“A Baddibunka, Sulayman Camara, just said here that Baddibouis a university of politics. But I want to tell Sulayman Camarathat Baddibu is a university of the opposition. It’s opposition politics that Baddibou knows. However, no matter how you resist, you must accept the truth. Only truth lasts forever,” Cham countered.
He explained that President Barrow has all the qualities that people expect from a leader.
“What people expect from a leader is good governance and guaranteed peace for everyone. A leader fulfills people’s wishes and aspirations and that’s what I recognized in President Barrow. Everyone is enjoying unfettered freedom to the extent that others are abusing it. Despite all this, the President is delivering,” Cham told the Kerewan rally. He continued: “Look, the Kerewan-Suwareh Kunda-Njawara road was not here but it was built by President Barrow. We came from Salikeniyesterday; the HQ of the opposition. What was built there? A hospital. President Barrow does not discriminate who supports him or not. He considers everyone an integral part of his family. If you have such an exemplary leader, I think you must be also wiser. You loathe someone and he knows it yet he’s helping you. Then the people of North Bank and Baddibou, Adama is the true winner. You cannot know better than Allah what’s best for you. That’s why Allah gave you Adama.”
Cham asserted that President Barrow’s accomplishments could be felt all over the country.
“People would only tell you that he built roads, hospitals, schools… Nowhere in The Gambia didn’t his work reach,” asserted Cham.