Demba Ali Jawo Accuses Barrow of Using State Resources to Campaign for Re-election

By Fatou Sillah

Demba Ali Jawo, a former information minister and veteran journalist, has accused President Adama Barrow of using state resources to advance his re-election campaign through the ongoing Meet the People’s Tour.

Mr. Jawo criticized the large number of government officials, National People’s Party leaders, and members of the governing alliance accompanying the president, arguing that public funds are being used to transport, accommodate, and feed people who have little or no official role in the tour.

He also questioned the deployment of hundreds of government vehicles, some of which he said were taken from state agencies and departments, potentially disrupting their normal operations.

Mr. Jawo argued that the tour has increasingly shifted away from its stated purpose of engaging communities about their concerns and development priorities. Instead, he said, many of the speeches have focused on praising Mr. Barrow and pledging support for his re-election in the 2026 presidential election.

“It is certainly not only unfair but morally wrong for President Barrow to continue using state resources budgeted for the tour to campaign for his reelection at the expense of his opponents, as he seems to be doing,” Mr. Jawo said.

He contrasted the current tour with the “Meet the Farmers Tour” conducted under former President Sir Dawda Jawara, saying those visits placed greater emphasis on farmers and community concerns and included senior government officials and technocrats who were expected to address issues raised by residents.

Mr. Jawo also questioned the more than D50 million budgeted for the current tour, arguing that the final cost could be substantially higher.

“There is certainly no moral justification for the more than D50 million budgeted for the tour, whose actual cost is even very likely to significantly exceed that budgeted amount,” he said.

Mr. Jawo’s criticism adds to concerns raised by some opposition figures and government critics over the increasingly political character of the Meet the People’s Tour as the country approaches the 2026 presidential election.