Gambia’s main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Ousainou Darboe has openly backed Alhagie Momodou Sanneh’s claim that President Adama Barrow was not the most suitable candidate to lead the Coalition in the 2016 presidential election.
Speaking during the UDP Diaspora Convention in Seattle, Washington, Darboe not only endorsed Sanneh’s recent criticism of Barrow’s leadership, but also reflected on the events that led to Barrow’s selection as the coalition’s flagbearer decisions that, years later, continue to spark political debate in The Gambia.
Darboe, addressing party members and supporters abroad, praised Sanneh fondly referred to within the UDP as a party elder and founding member for his longstanding commitment to both the party and the country.
“Alhagie Momodou Sanneh, your commitment to The Gambia is unquestionable,” said Darboe. “Your dedication to the United Democratic Party is unmatched.”
Sanneh, a former National Assembly Member for Kiang West and one of the UDP’s early architects, has recently voiced frustration over what he described as failed expectations under Barrow’s presidency. Darboe did not distance himself from those views. Instead, he recalled a pivotal moment when Barrow was named UDP’s presidential candidate while Darboe and several senior UDP figures were detained in Mile II prison.
“I remember clearly,” Darboe said. “When we were informed that Adama Barrow had been selected as the UDP’s flagbearer, you [Sanneh] cried. You didn’t believe it was the right decision at the time. But during our executive committee meeting in prison, I and Kemenseng Jammeh encouraged you to support the choice, because it was our party’s position.”
Darboe also took the opportunity to revisit a defining episode in the party’s history the April 16th, 2016 protest for the release of UDP youth leader Ebriama Solo Sandeng, who died in state custody.
“Your age didn’t stop you. Your health didn’t stop you. You marched with us to demand Solo Sandeng’s release, whether dead or alive. That kind of courage cannot be forgotten,” he said, paying homage to Sanneh and other UDP veterans like Lamin Ndambu Dibba, Femi Peters, and Kemenseng Jammeh.
In closing, Darboe described Sanneh as the “last lion” of the UDP, expressing deep gratitude for his leadership and sacrifice.
“You are our doyen. We hope to have you with us for many more years. When the history of this country is written, you won’t be a paragraph or a chapter you’ll be an entire verse,” he said.
The comments are likely to reignite debate around President Barrow’s rise to power and the ongoing tensions between him and his former political allies in the UDP. Barrow, who was once a little-known member of the party, rose through the ranks to become the Coalition 2016 candidate, eventually defeating long-time ruler Yahya Jammeh.
Since then, his relationship with the UDP has deteriorated, with many of the party’s former leaders now in opposition.
