By Seedy Jobe
The National Assembly Member for Kiang West, Hon. Lamin Ceesay, has dismissed speculation that he could leave the United Democratic Party (UDP), declaring that he would rather quit politics than abandon the opposition party he says was built through the sacrifices of ordinary Gambians.
Speaking on The Grand Bantaba program on Kerr Fatou, Ceesay said his loyalty to the UDP is rooted in principle and in his appreciation for the people who founded and sustained the party over the years.
“If I leave the UDP, I am leaving politics,” he said, emphasizing that his political convictions were shaped by his own humble background and the struggles of the party’s grassroots supporters.
“This party was formed by the people. I know where I come from, and I know the struggle those who built my party went through. Our party is a party of the poor,” he said.
Ceesay praised the commitment of the party’s grassroots base, saying farmers and market women have remained the backbone of the UDP despite facing economic hardship. He noted that farmers who harvest groundnuts that barely sustain their families for a few months each year still contribute financially to the party, while market women regularly pay dues, organize fundraising activities, and purchase party assobees to support its operations.
The Kiang West lawmaker also credited the UDP for providing him with the opportunity to serve in the National Assembly. He recalled that between 14 and 18 aspirants sought the party’s nomination for the Kiang West seat before he emerged victorious in the party’s primary election.
“The same UDP selected me for me to showcase that talent. For a party that has done that for me to betray it, without principle, I will never do that in my life,” he said.
Ceesay further argued that holding elected office is a public trust that should be approached with integrity and dignity.
“Woliehe, if you are not a dignified person, do not take a dignified position. An elected position is a position of dignity. Anyone who doesn’t know that is playing with something big,” he said.
He also rejected suggestions that loyalty to the party should diminish because of the age of its leadership or the number of times its presidential candidate has contested elections. According to him, abandoning the UDP would amount to betraying the sacrifices of the ordinary Gambians who have sustained the party over the years.
“With their blessings and with the help of God, we got the votes. I don’t mean Kiang West voted for me because of myself only. Of course, I have done a little, but it is because of the UDP,” he said.
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