Darboe Says Gambia Needs ‘Rescue’ as UDP Signs Agreement With Anda Jubbanti Rewmi

By Seedy Jobe

ANM Ousainu Darboe, the secretary general and leader of the United Democratic Party, said Saturday that The Gambia is in urgent need of political change, warning that future generations would bear the consequences if voters failed to act in the December presidential election.

Speaking at a UDP-led alliance rally in Kotu Quarry, Mr. Darboe cast the election as a consequential moment for the country and urged Gambians to use the ballot box to remove President Adama Barrow’s government.

“This country needs to be rescued,” Mr. Darboe told supporters. “If this country is not rescued, our grandchildren will not escape. And if our grandchildren do not escape, history will not judge us well.”

Mr. Darboe said prayer alone would not bring about the change he is seeking, arguing that Gambians needed to unite and translate their concerns into political action.

He warned voters against giving Mr. Barrow another five-year term, saying, “God forbid if you give President Barrow another five-year term, this country will sink.”

Mr. Darboe went further, saying conditions could deteriorate to the point that even he might consider taking the “backway,” the term commonly used in The Gambia for irregular migration to Europe. He also accused the Barrow administration of tolerating corruption.

Mr. Darboe emphasized the importance of voter cards, describing them as citizens’ most powerful democratic tool. Gambians, he said, register not only to vote in presidential elections but also in National Assembly and local government contests.

He argued that the country’s problems cut across political, ethnic and religious lines and said voters themselves have the power to address them at the polls.

Mr. Darboe reiterated his pledge to serve only one five-year term if elected, invoking Nelson Mandela, who stepped down after one term as South Africa’s president. He said voters could judge that comparison after giving him the opportunity to serve.

During the rally, Mr. Darboe also announced that the UDP had signed a memorandum of understanding with Anda Jubbanti Rewmi, a political movement led by Omar Burr Touray.

Mr. Darboe said the movement’s name signifies correcting the country and putting it on a path that benefits Gambians. The agreement, he said, commits the two sides to working together ahead of the December election.

Turning to calls for political continuity, Mr. Darboe argued that another Barrow term would perpetuate what he described as corruption and deterioration in public institutions, including health care and education. He thanked Mr. Touray for agreeing to join forces with the UDP-led alliance.

Mr. Darboe also outlined four priorities he said a government led by his alliance would pursue during a single five-year term: adopting a new Constitution, strengthening the economy, maintaining national security and transforming the civil service into what he described as a genuinely republican institution.

He contrasted that agenda with political rivals whom he accused of seeking government positions for access to official vehicles and allowances rather than pursuing a clear program of government.

Mr. Darboe also thanked Banjul Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe for her support and organizing efforts.

But he cautioned supporters that large rallies, campaign songs and political slogans would not by themselves deliver victory.

He urged party activists to intensify door-to-door campaigning, telling them to visit compounds, houses and individual rooms in search of votes. No voter, he said, should be considered beyond persuasion — including supporters of other parties.

In a rhetorical flourish, Mr. Darboe said activists should even canvass President Barrow and the first lady, Fatou Bah-Barrow, at State House and remind them of the principles on which the UDP was founded in 1996.

Mr. Darboe devoted part of his address to electoral strategy, describing Kanifing Municipality as a critical political battleground and challenging the party’s regional leadership there to secure at least 75 percent of the vote.

He pointed to the UDP’s past performance in the municipality while outside government as evidence of the party’s resilience and said stronger mobilization in areas including Fajikunda, Old Jeshwang and Bakau could help it reach that target.

Mr. Darboe issued a similar challenge to party organizers in the West Coast Region, which UDP supporters frequently describe as the party’s “powerhouse.”

He said the region would have to demonstrate that strength through voter mobilization rather than slogans, calling on regional party officials, including KK Barrow and his team, to prove that West Coast could serve as a driving force in the UDP-led alliance’s campaign for State House.