By Makutu Manneh
The National Assembly Member for Wuli East, Suwaibou Touray, has criticized Adama Barrow for what he described as a pattern of avoiding direct accountability to lawmakers following the delivery of the State of the Nation Address.
Mr. Touray said that while the president appears before the legislature to present his annual address, he does not remain to answer questions from members of the National Assembly, leaving that responsibility instead to the vice president.
“The president should not simply come, read a statement, and leave,” Mr. Touray said. “As head of government, he should be questioned by National Assembly members and respond to them directly.”
According to Mr. Touray, since assuming office, President Barrow has not returned to the chamber to field questions after delivering the address. “Every time, it is the vice president who responds to questions on his behalf,” he said. “President Barrow has never delivered the State of the Nation Address and stayed for questioning.”
Mr. Touray argued that such an approach undermines executive accountability and the spirit of parliamentary oversight. He went further, suggesting that a leader unwilling to submit to questioning by elected representatives falls short of the standards expected of the office.
President Barrow is scheduled to deliver his next State of the Nation Address on March 26, 2026, during the first ordinary session of the 2026 legislative year of the National Assembly.
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