By Makutu Manneh
Ousainu Darboe, leader of the opposition United Democratic Party, on Monday sharply criticized President Adama Barrow’s administration, describing it as deeply corrupt and urging voters in Jarra to support change in the 2026 presidential election.
Speaking at a campaign stop in Jarra Soma as part of a nationwide tour, Mr. Darboe said President Barrow’s failure to address corruption during his recently concluded “Meet the People Tour” amounted to a tacit admission of wrongdoing.
“Throughout his tour, there was no day that he talked about corruption or the embezzlement in his government,” Mr. Darboe told supporters. “Why? Because he is part of the corruption and embezzlement.”
Mr. Darboe argued that the president used the tour primarily to attack opposition figures rather than to explain his record in office. He said the president had strayed from his mandate and accused him of attempting to mislead voters, urging Gambians to remove him from office in 2026.
The opposition leader also compared the current administration unfavorably with the previous government of Yahya Jammeh, which the UDP helped unseat in 2016 after years of accusations of corruption and abuse of power. Mr. Darboe claimed that the sale of assets seized from Mr. Jammeh had been mishandled by the Barrow administration.
“We fought against Yahya Jammeh for corruption,” he said. “Adama sold all the belongings of Jammeh, and during that sale, they did things that are worse than what Jammeh did.”
Mr. Darboe said meaningful development and economic progress would require a change of government, arguing that a new administration would ensure that citizens, rather than political elites, benefit from public resources.
He also called on President Barrow to halt ongoing construction work on a property in Fajara designated for the Chief Justice, though he did not elaborate on his objections.
The Barrow administration has repeatedly rejected allegations of systemic corruption, saying it is committed to reforms and accountability. Government officials were not immediately available to respond to Mr. Darboe’s latest remarks.