President Adama Barrow has vowed to bring the political career of longtime rival Ousainou Darboe to an end at the December 5 presidential election, while praising APP-Sobeyaa leader Essa Mbye Faal for joining his National People’s Party (NPP)-led coalition.
Speaking at an NPP rally in Farafenni on Saturday, Barrow portrayed the growing number of political parties and figures backing his candidacy as evidence of his political strength ahead of the election.
The president said there were two things he could not take away from Darboe: his legal career and his long-standing role as an opposition politician.
However, Barrow predicted that Darboe’s political career would end after the December election.
He said he would make the United Democratic Party (UDP) leader “retire and go on pension” from politics, presenting the upcoming election as a decisive contest between the two longtime political rivals.
Barrow also pointed to the large crowd at the Farafenni rally, suggesting that the turnout demonstrated the strength of his support.
He said that if Darboe saw photographs of the gathering, the UDP leader would recognize that the election was effectively over.
The president has made similar assertions during recent political appearances, repeatedly portraying the presidential contest as settled despite the fact that Gambians are yet to vote. The election is scheduled for December 5.
BARROW PRAISES FAAL
Barrow also used the rally to praise Faal for joining his political camp after previously positioning himself as a critic of the administration.
According to Barrow, after Mama Kandeh and the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) joined his coalition, he encouraged Darboe to follow suit and work with the government. Darboe declined the invitation, Barrow said.
The president later extended a similar invitation to Faal, the leader of APP-Sobeyaa, during a political gathering in Gunjur.
Barrow said Faal subsequently accepted the invitation and described the decision as a wise one.
“Essa Faal acted wisely by packing his belongings, came to me, and told me he had joined me,” Barrow said.
APP-Sobeyaa announced earlier this week that it had reached an agreement in principle with the NPP on a political alliance ahead of the election.
The agreement represents a significant shift for Faal, who had previously criticized the Barrow administration over governance, corruption and accountability.
The alliance has also exposed divisions within APP-Sobeyaa, with some founding members and senior figures challenging the manner in which the decision was reached.
BARROW: COALITION HAS GROWN STRONGER
Barrow said Faal’s decision had further strengthened an alliance that already includes Kandeh and several political parties and organizations.
He cited the NPP, GDC, APRC, NRP, GMC, Citizens’ Alliance, ANRP, PPP and NPC among the groups supporting his candidacy.
The president argued that the expanding coalition demonstrated the level of support behind his re-election campaign and again suggested that the outcome of the December election was effectively settled.
Barrow also told supporters that Gambian voters could no longer be easily deceived and said their priority was to elect a government capable of delivering tangible development.
He pointed to projects undertaken during his administration as evidence of his record in office, while arguing that the government’s achievements so far represented only the beginning of its development agenda.
“The real work is yet to start,” Barrow told supporters.
