Ousainou Darboe is the only applicant for the party’s leadership position ahead of the Saturday vote.
The secretary general and leader of the United Democratic Party, Ousainou Darboe, has issued warning that he will take on anyone who want to divide the party.
“I am not desperate to be president of the Gambia… but any person, whatever your designation, who wants to divide the UDP, I am ready and prepared to lock horn with you because I am elected to lead and protect the UDP,” he said.
This is the first time Darboe has openly spoken, in coded language, about the problems in the UDP. Several analysts said the party is divided between President Adama Barrow and Ousainou Darboe.
President Barrow who was voted on a three-year transition agreement has made known his views to contest for second come 2021.
This appeared to have caused some divisions in the UDP between a camp loyal to Darboe and that which is loyal to Barrow.
Darboe also said the UDP leadership stands ready to hand over power young people within the party structure. He however emphasized that they will not hand over power to anyone whose election is not in the interest of the Gambia…
“UDP will never be divided into 2… There is no UDP 2016… There is only UDP 1996,” Darboe said.
Meanwhile, since the tensions emerged, Lamin Dibba, the minister of agriculture has been the only visible person in the UDP executive who has spoken on the division.
Dibba told the UDP congress on Friday to be cautious who to vote for at the congress. The UDP congress ends on Sunday and 33 elected positions are up for grab.
The party will also reform its constitution and elect a new leadership though so far, Darboe is the only applicant.