By Fatou Sillah
Veteran journalist and former Minister of Information Demba Ali Jawo has said President Adama Barrow’s decision to seek a third term could undermine the legacy he has built since taking office in 2017.
Speaking in an interview with West Coast Radio, Jawo said Barrow would have left office with an enhanced reputation across the subregion had he chosen not to seek re-election beyond his second term.
“He would have remained a respected statesman within the subregion if he had stopped at his two terms and then called it quits, but well, that’s the situation now,” he said.
Jawo said Barrow has made important contributions to the country and described him as a patriotic and tolerant leader. However, he maintained that seeking another mandate was a mistake that risks overshadowing those achievements.
He noted that Barrow’s decision to pursue a third term comes despite an earlier pledge to serve only three years of his first term before eventually completing it and going on to win re-election.
Jawo also suggested that the president’s continued stay in office may have affected his standing within ECOWAS, pointing out that leaders who assumed their own national offices after Barrow have since been elected to chair the regional bloc. He said ECOWAS places significant value on democratic norms, including respect for presidential term limits, which he believes may have shaped perceptions of Barrow among his regional counterparts.
“I know he loves this country, and he is an epitome of tolerance. He’s a very tolerant person; I have absolutely no doubt about that. But probably one area that he needs to have reconsidered was going for a third term. I think that is a mistake as far as I’m concerned. He should not have done that because that is going to negatively affect his legacy,” Jawo said.
He added that while Barrow’s tenure includes notable achievements, concluding his presidency after two elected terms would have better preserved his reputation, both at home and across the region.
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