Former Niamina East Lawmaker Challenges Barrow’s Development Record, Urges Voters to Reject Him

By Fatou Sillah

Omar Ceesay, a former National Assembly Member for Niamina East and a member of the opposition UNITE Party, has urged Gambians to vote against President Adama Barrow in the December 2026 presidential election, accusing his administration of failing to deliver on key promises and overstating its development achievements.

Speaking in an interview with Teledal, Mr. Ceesay criticized the government’s record on governance and development, particularly its failure to complete constitutional and security sector reforms.

He argued that President Barrow had fallen short of the expectations that accompanied his rise to power, citing what he described as a pattern of unfulfilled commitments.

“Anything that President Barrow has promised us, there is nothing that he fulfilled. Not the constitution, not the security reform,” Mr. Ceesay said.

The former lawmaker also challenged the administration’s claims of progress in infrastructure development, arguing that several major projects undertaken during Mr. Barrow’s presidency had originated under the government of former President Yahya Jammeh.

Mr. Ceesay said he was unaware of any major infrastructure project that had been initiated, negotiated, and contracted entirely under the Barrow administration and was now operational and delivering significant benefits to Gambians.

He maintained that the president had failed to introduce transformative development initiatives capable of producing lasting improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens.

“Adama Barrow is not someone that you should vote for,” he declared.

However, Ahmad Gitteh, a senior member of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), rejected Mr. Ceesay’s criticism, defending the administration’s development record and insisting that President Barrow had delivered meaningful projects across the country.

Mr. Gitteh cited Farato Hospital and other infrastructure initiatives as examples of what he described as the government’s commitment to improving public services and national development.

He argued that Gambians had witnessed tangible progress under President Barrow’s leadership and would reward his administration with another electoral victory.

“This year, President Adama Barrow is going to win in a way that has never been seen in this country because Gambians have seen the development that he has brought in this country,” Mr. Gitteh said.

The contrasting assessments reflect the competing narratives emerging ahead of the December 5 presidential election, with opposition figures questioning the administration’s record on reform and development while ruling party officials point to infrastructure investments as evidence of progress.