By: Momodou Justice Darboe
The UDP has considered President Adama Barrow’s utterances against its leader as equivalent to hate speech.
President Barrow said on Saturday that he would remain Gambia’s President until the UDP leader’s demise and burial.
The UDP described Barrow’s utterances as disgusting, irresponsible, and dangerous. The party contended that the remarks were uncouth and uncalled for.
“On behalf of the general membership of the United Democratic Party and indeed all decent Gambians, the National Executive of the United Democratic Party (UDP) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the unwarranted and distasteful vitriol uttered by the President of the Republic of The Gambia, Adama Barrow, against the Party Leader and Secretary General of the UDP, His Excellency ANM Ousainou Darboe,” read a statement issued to this medium on Sunday by the UDP.
“On Saturday, July 27, 2024, while inaugurating a political party bureau in Brikama, the President stated to a cheering audience that he will remain President until Mr. Ousainou Darboe’s death. Here is a translated version of the essence of his statement, which he made in Mandinka: “I will take an oath today that I will remain as president until Ousainou Darboe dies. Until such time that he is dead, I will remain president. That is the contract I have signed. When his death is announced, and I attend his funeral, then I will be fulfilled as president, and I can step aside,” the statement further read.
According to the national executive of the UDP, these remarks were disgusting, irresponsible, and dangerous.
“Worse, it is a HATE SPEECH and threat to the life and well-being of Ousainou Darboe since the President spoke with much certainty. Backed by state power, and the fact that he had previously declared UDP as a threat to national security, he has the means, access, and motive to make citizens believe that a threat issued by the Head of State may be executed without consequences.
“His Excellency Ousainou Darboe is a family man with children and grandchildren who adore him and wish to have him in their midst as long as possible. Mr. Darboe is aware of the comments, and as a man of faith, he would like his supporters to remain calm, that he believes that he has no power over what God has destined for him and prays that when the inevitable comes, that it comes at a time when his Lord is most pleased with him,” added the statement.
“It is our collective responsibility as citizens, but more so as leaders, to appeal to the best versions of those we seek to lead. This responsibility is even greater on the President, in whom many have reposed trust to preside over the nation’s affairs.
“It is unfortunate, that the President, who recently presided over a national dialogue, would stoop so low as to reveal such vile desires that should not reside even in the farthest recesses of one’s innermost thoughts much less be uttered in public to cheers and applause,” bemoaned the UDP.
The UDP said President Adama Barrow fails “this basic leadership test in decency at every opportunity he is presented with”.
“Instead of being a unifying figure, he seeks to fuel resentment. Instead of focusing on policies that impact the lives and well-being of the citizens, he seeks to focus on personalities in a vengeful way,” it pointed out.
The party called on the National Human Rights Commission to engage the President on “this unstatesmanlike conduct”.
“As we head for 2026, remarks like this are incendiary and could spark political violence at a time when nations are at their most vulnerable. We demand that the President tones down his rhetoric and demand a full retraction and an apology to the Gambian people in general for consistently reducing the nation’s highest office into disrepute,” stated the party.
