Conateh Slams Barrow’s Nationwide Tour as Political Exercise Disguised as Public Consultation

By Seedy Jobe

Lamin Conateh, administrative secretary of the National Democratic Party (NDP), has accused President Adama Barrow of turning his ongoing Meet-the-People Tour into a political campaign financed with public resources, questioning whether the exercise serves its stated purpose of engaging citizens on their concerns.

Speaking during an interview with Kerr Fatou on Thursday, Mr. Conateh argued that the presence of campaign materials, including T-shirts and flyers urging voters to support President Barrow, undermined the official purpose of the nationwide tour.

He questioned why an exercise intended to provide the president with firsthand accounts of the challenges facing Gambians would feature materials openly promoting his re-election.

Mr. Conateh also criticized the composition of speakers at the tour’s meetings, alleging that ordinary citizens, particularly farmers, were being denied meaningful opportunities to express their concerns.

According to him, the gatherings are largely dominated by supporters of the president’s National People’s Party (NPP), including women’s mobilization groups commonly known as Yai Compins, female councillors and youth leaders, whom he described as political praise singers rather than independent voices capable of presenting an accurate picture of conditions in their communities.

He further alleged that the meetings lacked meaningful political diversity, with opposition supporters and other segments of society largely excluded from the discussions.

The NDP official suggested that the president could adopt a more cost-effective approach to public consultation by inviting regional delegations, led by their respective governors, to State House for structured discussions on the challenges facing their communities.

Such an arrangement, he argued, would reduce public expenditure while allowing for more substantive engagement on issues affecting national development.

Turning to agriculture, Mr. Conateh questioned the government’s repeated pledges to achieve food self-sufficiency, arguing that those ambitions would remain unattainable unless farmers received adequate support to overcome the difficulties confronting the sector.

He maintained that agricultural productivity could not be improved through political promises alone, emphasizing the need for practical interventions to ease the burden on farmers.

In contrast, Mr. Conateh praised NDP leader Kebba Madi Bojang for what he described as tangible efforts to support agricultural production.

He said Mr. Bojang had distributed fertilizer free of charge to farmers, with the latest consignment specifically targeting women engaged in horticultural production.

Mr. Conateh presented the initiative as evidence of his party leader’s commitment to strengthening domestic food production and supporting farmers at the grassroots level.

His criticism adds to the political debate surrounding President Barrow’s Meet-the-People Tour, particularly over the distinction between official presidential engagements and partisan campaign activities ahead of the December 5 presidential election.