By Fatou Sillah
Alagie S. Darboe, Senior Administrative Secretary of the United Democratic Party (UDP) and Minority Leader in the National Assembly, has dismissed concerns that recent resignations from the party will weaken its strength or undermine preparations for the 2026 presidential elections.
Speaking in an interview with West Coast Radio, Darboe noted that defections are not new to the UDP, recalling that in 2018 and 2019 several national and regional executive members left to support President Adama Barrow, eventually forming the National People’s Party (NPP).
“Any number that is removed from our side is a minus, but I will not say that it can weaken the party. I see UDP as a revolutionary party. It is an established political party that is grounded in terms of structure, and that is from national to village,” he said.
Darboe emphasized that the UDP remains the only political party in The Gambia with a fully intact grassroots system.
“It is the only party in the Gambia where we have the structure intact. I can tell you that in the Gambia, it is the only party that is structured,” he added.
He acknowledged the contributions of those who resigned but stressed that their departure does not create an irreparable gap.
“We respect them for that and their performance or participation in the party; we recognize that, but we can equally look for a replacement. The vacuum can be filled; we have men and women who can do that,” he said.
Darboe further argued that even the ruling NPP borrowed much of its organizational model from the UDP, underscoring what he described as his party’s enduring influence in Gambian politics.