By Kemo Kanyi
The leader of the opposition Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), Mamma Kandeh has described the recent speech by President Adama Barrow as “a threat to national stability.”
Referencing from the recent speech by the president during his nationwide tour for the inauguration of political bureaus and hospitals, the president was heard telling party militants not to fear anything since they are the ruling party in power with his support as all the security and institutions are answerable to him.
Reacting to the statement amid public outcry and condemnation, the GDC leader said such utterances will not bring any peace in the country but rather a threat to national stability.
“I am telling the President that those utterances shouldn’t be said by a leader. He should know that he belongs to everyone here. He doesn’t own any of the institutions he mentioned. He came and met the institutions here, and he will go and leave these institutions here. Those institutions are here for the country, not for the president, and I think we have learned about it in the past years,” Mr. Gandeh warned.
Enjoining all Gambians to embrace peace for national stability, the GDC leader advised the president to desist from such utterances that will plunge the country into chaos and destabilisethe existing peace the country is known for.
“So, Mr. President, those thoughts shouldn’t come from a leader. What I want to tell the NPP members is that, the NPP is the party leading the country but anyone who is in NPP starting from the president to the last member of the NPP have equal rights as any other citizen. No one is above the law in this country,” he advised.
“Let us maintain peace for the benefit of everyone. Conflict is not good, and there is no place where it’s good. Anyone who is leading a political party in the Gambia should preach peace that we are all Gambians. Starting from the president, anyone who thinks that he is above the law and can do anything he feels like, we will show you that no one is above the law,” he affirmed in an audio available to this medium.
Mr. Gandeh also admonished all Gambians not to politicise the recent pronouncement by the president against ‘narr’ which he said was political sabotage against the opposition parties.
Barrow’s recently concluded tour has been marked by controversies, especially his political remarks towards his political opponents which many political commentators have strongly condemned.