Coach Pasamba Jow Calls for Barrow to Be Voted Out Over Electricity Crisis

By Fatou Sillah

Coach Pasamba Jow, a political commentator and human rights advocate, has called on Gambians to vote President Adama Barrow out of office in December, citing the government’s handling of the country’s continuing electricity crisis.

Speaking in response to recent protests over prolonged power outages, Mr. Jow said the public frustration was genuine and had been building for some time. He accused the Barrow administration of failing to adequately address the electricity problems despite significant investments in the National Water and Electricity Company, or NAWEC.

Mr. Jow rejected suggestions that the demonstrations were driven by political, ethnic, or regional interests, arguing that unreliable electricity affects Gambians across political and geographic lines.

He condemned attacks on private property and public institutions during protests but said the consequences of prolonged power outages should also be taken seriously, particularly at health facilities where patients depend on electricity for treatment and medical equipment.

Mr. Jow said he hoped the frustration over the electricity crisis would translate into political action at the ballot box.

“I hope your outrage would be manifested to ensure that President Adama Barrow is voted out and a new president voted in, because no president, irrespective of how great you are, should serve for more than two terms,” he said.

Mr. Jow argued that allowing presidents to remain in office beyond two terms risks perpetuating the kind of prolonged rule that Gambians sought to move away from after the end of former President Yahya Jammeh’s government.

“And yes, Gambia, let’s vote him out and vote in a new government come December 5th,” he said.

Mr. Barrow, who took office in 2017 after defeating Mr. Jammeh in the 2016 presidential election, is seeking to remain in power as Gambians prepare for the December presidential vote. Mr. Jow’s remarks come as persistent electricity disruptions have intensified public criticism of NAWEC and the government’s management of the power sector.