By: Kemo Kanyi
Former female presidential aspirant Marie Sock has expressed dismay over the leadership of the 2016 coalition for failing to address the nation on the statements made by former president Yahya Jammeh, questioning their loyalty to the nation.
Recently, Jammeh released an audio message in which he firmly stated his intention of returning to The Gambia. Jammeh also expressed shock over the current governance situation in the country, citing poor healthcare system, insecurity, and mismanagement of public funds without consequences of prosecution.
Marie Sock contended that Jammeh’s utterances threatened citizens and that the 2016 coalition leadership should step up to the plate and address utterances rather than placing the burden of response on the sitting president. She said she expected the 2016 Coalition leadership to speak out on the issue.
Sock contended that the 2016 Coalition jointly fought to bring Jammeh down in 2016 and that this should be another opportunity for them to show the nation that they still have the interest of the nation at heart.
“This moment would have been a good fit for the 2016 coalition opposition leaders to show the citizens all what you have been saying in campaigns is what you really have at heart for Gambians, but you are all quiet and left the whole burden on President Adama Barrow. The whole Gambia is laughing and believing that the president is scared. No, you [2016 coalition leadership] are all scared because you know what you did with his assets. So, now you are all waiting for the sitting president to make the slightest error, mistake or a wrong decision about the situation so that you can jump up to gain your political points. Is this fair to the sitting president to face all the troubles by himself after all of you signed that agreement for the former president to leave the country peacefully so that you can get to the leadership mantle?” She highlighted in an interview with The Voice on Thursday.
She opined that the country “unfortunately” has opposition leaders, who are cowardly and only good at waiting for opportune moments, indicating that a typical Gambian will take you to a war and when the war comes, they will all vanish and watch you fail.
“This is the typical Gambian attitude,” she argued.
“The President did not put himself into office all by himself, he did not establish that TRRC all by himself, and he did not dispose of Jammeh’s assets all by himself,” she emphasized.
Sock urged Gambians to question the leadership of the 2016 coalition on Jammeh’s recent utterances, adding that this is the moment that the whole country should have come together to firmly stand with President Barrow.