United Democratic Party (UDP) leader ANM Ousainu Darboe has accused President Adama Barrow’s government of plotting to provoke violence and blame the opposition as a pretext for declaring a state of emergency ahead of the December 5 presidential election.
Speaking at a youth meeting in Brikama North on Wednesday, organised by the UDP-led Gambia First Coalition, Mr. Darboe rejected allegations that his party was planning to instigate unrest, insisting that the UDP remained committed to peaceful political engagement.
“We are not violent. Don’t try to make us look violent,” he warned.
He alleged that individuals linked to the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) were planning to disguise themselves as UDP supporters by wearing party T-shirts, heckling the president and creating disturbances that could subsequently be blamed on the opposition.
According to Darboe, such incidents could be used to justify a state of emergency and undermine the credibility of the December election. However, he presented no publicly verifiable evidence to substantiate the alleged plot.
The opposition leader urged supporters to remain calm, resist provocation and be vigilant against attempts to infiltrate the party to engage in unlawful activities.
He also criticised Works Minister Ebrima Sillah over remarks suggesting that government supporters would retaliate if attacked by UDP supporters. Darboe said the minister, a former BBC correspondent who had covered UDP activities, was familiar with the party’s history of peaceful campaigning.
While insisting that the UDP would not initiate violence, he said the party reserved the right to defend itself if attacked.
Darboe maintained that the responsibility for safeguarding peace and stability rested with the president and his ministers, warning against inflammatory rhetoric that could heighten political tensions.
He also questioned the deployment of security personnel across the country for what he described as election-related simulations, raising concerns about their purpose and timing.
On electoral integrity, Darboe said the UDP would continue challenging voter registrations it considers unlawful through the revising courts, insisting that only eligible Gambians should participate in the December 5 vote.
Addressing young supporters, he urged them to remain focused on achieving political change through the ballot box, describing the upcoming election as an opportunity for a new direction in governance.
His comments come amid increasingly harsh political exchanges between the ruling NPP and the UDP-led opposition coalition ahead of the presidential election.
