By Seedy Jobe
United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Ousainu Darboe has reaffirmed his pledge to serve only one five-year term if elected president, saying his priority is to address the country’s most pressing challenges without compromising the reputation he has built over decades in public life.
Darboe made the remarks during an interview on the For The People By The People show, where he was questioned about what assurances he could offer potential political allies concerned that the 1997 Constitution would allow an elected president to abandon pre-election commitments once in office.
The host cited lingering skepticism stemming from the experience of the 2016 opposition coalition, whose agreement to a three-year transitional presidency was ultimately not honored.
Darboe acknowledged those concerns but said his one-term commitment is based on personal conviction rather than UDP policy. He argued that five years should be sufficient to identify and address some of the country’s most pressing problems.
“I said I should run just for one term. It’s not a party policy. I felt that identifying key areas of concern to the Gambian people, identifying them, and addressing them during the one term should be sufficient,” he said.
The veteran politician also rejected suggestions that his presidential ambition is driven by a desire for political power, arguing that he could have remained in government and accepted the vice presidency under President Adama Barrow if holding high office had been his primary objective.
Instead, Darboe said, he chose to remain in opposition and continue working alongside those who share his vision for a more responsive government.
He said protecting his reputation and how history ultimately judges his public service are more important to him than becoming president.
“The presidency is not what is going to define my legacy, and I will not say anything or do anything that will really taint my legacy,” Darboe said.
He added that he does not want historians to conclude that he damaged his reputation “at the last lap” of his political career, stressing that preserving his legacy remains important whether or not he wins the presidency.
Darboe urged potential allies and skeptics to judge him by his record, saying those familiar with him know he does not make commitments he has no intention of honoring.
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