By Fatou Sillah
Rohey Malick Lowe, the Mayor of Banjul City Council, has firmly rejected suggestions that she leads a faction within the United Democratic Party (UDP), saying that if political camps exist within the party, they are aligned with UDP leader Ousainou Darboe and Talib Ahmed Bensouda, not with her.
Speaking in an interview with Eye Africa TV, Mayor Lowe distanced herself from intra-party divisions and emphasized her loyalty to the UDP leadership.
“If there are camps, they belong to Ousainou and Talib, but I am not part of any such group. I am aligned with Ousainou’s camp, if we must call it that,” she said.
Mayor Lowe stressed that, despite persistent allegations linking her to a rival faction within the UDP, she has never associated herself with any internal grouping.
“The party leader knows I have no camp. Whenever he talks about camps, I make it clear to him: don’t include me, because no one sees me aligned with any camp,” she said.
The mayor expressed frustration over being repeatedly drawn into party infighting, which she says has resulted in personal attacks and public insults directed at her family.
“I am focused on my work, particularly on improving the lives of women. I don’t have time for camps. Yet, they keep mentioning my name. It hurts me because this talk about camps has led to people insulting my mother and saying things about me that are untrue,” she said.
Mayor Lowe reiterated that her loyalty lies solely with Darboe and the UDP’s core leadership, dismissing the idea that she leads a separate faction.
“If Ousainou Darboe decides to split his camp and say one belongs to Rohey Lowe, that’s his choice. But he knows very well that I have no camp,” she said.
Describing herself as “allergic” to factional politics, Mayor Lowe added that she prefers to concentrate on her duties rather than engage in political divisions.
“I am allergic to camp issues. When things are tough, I face them alone. When things are good, I also stand alone. I mind my own business. No one has ever heard me speak about camps,” she emphasized.
Her remarks come amid increasing scrutiny of internal dynamics within the UDP as the party navigates a shifting political landscape ahead of upcoming national elections.