By Fatou Sillah
Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr. Ismaila Ceesay has alleged that the United Democratic Party (UDP) worked to undermine President Adama Barrow during the early years of the coalition government. Speaking in an interview with Fatu Network, Dr. Ceesay said certain UDP members intentionally obstructed the president’s progress to later claim he had failed.
“When the president came to power in the first two to three years, when he was with UDP in a coalition, UDP was undermining him because it was a policy within the UDP circles that if the president succeeded and if he gave Gambians what they wanted, then he would stay longer in power,” he said.
According to Dr. Ceesay, some within the UDP calculated that frustrating President Barrow’s efforts would give their party a political advantage. “They were doing everything to undermine him so that he would not deliver, and they would be able to tell the Gambians that he could not deliver; let’s vote him out,” he added.
Dr. Ceesay also highlighted what he described as President Barrow’s significant achievements following his split with the UDP around 2019–2020, arguing that the president’s development record since then “is unmatched.”
“For the first time, we are seeing a country that has no resources; what they have is domestically generated revenue. He did reforms that made Gambia expand its economy, and until today, Gambia is able to save money to invest in its citizens,” he said.
The minister cited the construction of roads in long-neglected communities, including the newly inaugurated Hakaland roads, saying improved infrastructure will boost tourism and spur broader development.
He also pointed to major progress in electricity access. “When President Barrow was coming into government, erratic power supply was what was happening in the country; only 53% of Gambians had access to electricity, but now we have 75% of Gambians. Before the end of 2026, 90% of Gambians will have access to the grid, and before mid-2026, we will have almost 100%; there will be no community in the Gambia that will not have access to the country,” Dr. Ceesay stated.
He further outlined advances in basic and higher education—including TVET, health care, women’s empowerment, agriculture, and other sectors, crediting these improvements to the President’s leadership.