By Fatou Sillah
President Adama Barrow has disclosed that Mai Ndure, the wife of United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Ousainou Darboe, once urged him to withdraw his candidacy in the 2016 presidential election in favor of Dr. Isatou Touray, arguing that the UDP could not secure victory at the polls.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS), President Barrow said the proposal came during the coalition consultations that preceded the 2016 election, which ultimately ended former President Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year rule.
“I was home one day when Aunty Mai Ndure, the wife of Ousainou Darboe, called me and said I should withdraw and back Dr. Isatou Touray as an independent candidate. I told her that would only happen if Dr. Touray agreed to contest under the UDP ticket,” Barrow said.
Barrow explained that Mai Ndure believed a UDP-led coalition would not be successful because, in her words, “people don’t like UDP, and UDP cannot win.”
The President further revealed that following his refusal, Dr. Isatou Touray, accompanied by Amie Bojang Sissoho, Aji Yam Secka, and Ramzy Diab, later met with him to persuade him to support her independent bid.
“During the coalition consultations, Dr. Isatou Touray was also conducting her own discussions because she wanted to run as an independent candidate. She came to see me with Amie Bojang Sissoho, Aunty Yam Secka, and Ramzy Diab. We talked, but their position was not clear,” he said.
Barrow said he reiterated the UDP’s stance that the party would only support a candidate running under its banner.
“I told them clearly that any candidate we support must be a UDP candidate. Dr. Isatou Touray did not want to contest under UDP because they all believed the UDP could not win,” he added.
The President also recounted being invited to the launch of Dr. Touray’s independent candidacy, which he claimed was another attempt to convince him to step aside.
“The day Dr. Isatou Touray launched her independent candidacy, she invited me. They wanted me to attend so they could persuade me to let her contest. But we refused, because anyone seeking UDP support had to contest under the UDP,” Barrow said.