By: Kemo Kanyi
Lamin Bojang, the Public Relations Officer for Coalition of Progressive Gambians, has called on President Adama Barrow to step down after serving a ten-year mandate given to him by Gambian voters.
President Barrow told his supporters that he will be NPP’s presidential candidate in 2026. His supporters, including ministers showed their backing to him to lead the NPP in the next presidential election.
Bojang said the President is constitutionally mandated to contest if he wishes to do so. However, he advised the President against any such move if he wants to live peacefully in the country with his family after his tenure, stating that overstayed leaderships in The Gambia and other African countries all went exile because of what they did during their tenure as leaders, and are not able to return to their countries.
‘’You told Gambians and your coalition partners that you are only going to serve three years as president, but you betrayed that agreement. You promised to administer a change that no president will stay in power over a two-term period at the presidency. What has changed that propels you to contest for the third term? Bojang outlined in an interview with The Voice on Wednesday.
The Public Relations Officer for Coalition of Progressive Gambians advised the President against heeding to the advice of self-centred supporters, saying that those supporters are only after themselves, but not the general welfare of the citizens of the country.
‘’If you allow your supporters who are only after their interest to compel you into seeking a third term, I am telling you that Gambians would not allow anyone to occupy the presidency over two terms. Already, Gambians have swallowed bitter pills fighting to end self-perpetuating rule, so it is not going to repeat itself again,’’ Bojang emphasized.
He added that conflicts in other African countries are fuelled by the leaderships in those countries, and President Barrow should not allow himself to be the cause of such in The Gambia.
Bojang acknowledged that the 1997 Constitution did not outline presidential term limit, but for the President to morally protect his integrity, he must step down after ten years.
