United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Ousainou Darboe has launched a blistering attack on President Adama Barrow, accusing him of politicising traditional leadership and steering The Gambia toward what he described as a worsening form of dictatorship.
In an exclusive interview with Eye Africa TV, the veteran Gambian opposition leader rebuked President Barrow for instructing cabinet ministers, chiefs, and Alkalos to campaign for the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), calling the directive “unfortunate” and “a dangerous return to old habits.”
Darboe reminded Gambians that the 2016 coalition formed to end Yahya Jammeh’s two-decade rule had pledged to keep local leaders out of partisan politics to ensure neutrality in community governance.
“President Barrow’s willingness to embrace political campaigning by Alkalos is a clear contradiction to these earlier assurances,” Darboe said.
The UDP leader warned that Barrow’s growing appetite for political control risked making him “a worse leader than former President Yahya Jammeh” if unchecked. He accused the president of prioritising rallies and political theatrics over governance, saying Barrow appeared more interested in “crowd competitions” than national development.
“As a president, even joking should be inspirational especially for school-going children and young voters,” Darboe noted, urging Barrow to “rise above petty politics” and focus on the country’s pressing issues, particularly the struggling agricultural sector.
Darboe argued that any serious leader should be alarmed by the state of agriculture, which he described as a “crying concern” for conscientious politicians nationwide.
The former vice president also addressed Barrow’s recent claims that he personally appointed him to high office. While expressing appreciation for his past roles as Foreign Affairs Minister and Vice President, Darboe insisted his appointments stemmed from the trust and confidence the president once had in him, not from personal favour.
Reflecting on the political struggle of 2016, Darboe recalled how Barrow, then a coalition candidate, frequently invoked his name to win public sympathy.
“Barrow used to say that my father, Ousainou Darboe, is in prison because of The Gambia,” Darboe recounted. “My body was in prison, but my knowledge and spirit were free.”
In a pointed reminder of the UDP’s role in Barrow’s rise to power, Darboe quipped that even the president’s family could not deny the party’s contribution to his political success.
“If he denies this, even his wife will remind him that he cannot deny it,” he said.
With political tensions escalating between the ruling NPP and the UDP, Darboe’s remarks signal a deepening rift ahead of the next election cycle. As both camps intensify their rhetoric, Gambia’s fragile political consensus forged in 2016 appears to be unraveling fast.
