Yankuba Darboe, Chairman of the Brikama Area Council (BAC), has delivered a fierce rebuke of President Adama Barrow’s government, accusing it of fueling corruption and stalling The Gambia’s progress.
Speaking at a UDP Franch chapter fundraiser, Darboe declared that “widespread corruption is the root cause of the country’s development challenges,” stressing that the United Democratic Party (UDP) remains determined to uproot the graft he believes is crippling national institutions.
Darboe cited the health sector as one of the clearest examples of how corruption affects ordinary Gambians. Patients, he said, are often told hospitals lack medicines and are forced to buy their own, describing the practice as a “stark symptom of a broken system.”
The BAC boss also pointed to what he described as unprecedented competition within the UDP, noting that eleven members recently contested for the party’s presidential candidacy. For him, this shows vitality, unity, and readiness to challenge Barrow in the upcoming elections.
He extended his call to the Gambian diaspora, urging them to remain engaged in the political process. “If they stay focused,” he said, “beating Barrow will not be difficult.”
Darboe further questioned President Barrow’s alleged practice of distributing Gambian ID cards in countries such as Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania. He implied that the move was a desperate attempt to secure votes, asking why a confident leader would resort to such tactics.
The BAC Chairman also dismissed government revenue figures on cement imports from Senegal. While a minister reported customs revenue of D25 million in 2023 and 2024, Darboe insisted that Dangote cement imports alone should have generated over D300 million.
He also highlighted other cases of alleged mismanagement, including a ferry reportedly abandoned in the mangroves due to poor maintenance. For him, these are further signs of negligence within Barrow’s administration.
In contrasting local and central governance, Darboe admitted there were “loopholes” at the Brikama Area Council but insisted the presidency and central government “have bigger holes than any other institution in The Gambia.” He accused the administration of “consuming millions and billions of dalasis” that should have gone into national development.
Darboe praised the return of Buwa Fofana of the Busumbala constituency to the UDP fold, describing it as a sign of growing strength and political unity within the party.
Closing his remarks, Darboe voiced confidence that the next election would be harder for the government to manipulate. He said many of those he described as the regime’s “conspirators” have abandoned it, and “most of their secrets have been leaked.”
He called on UDP supporters in the diaspora to volunteer as polling agents to safeguard the vote, vowing that attempts at electoral fraud would be resisted.
