Africa-Press – Gambia. Businessman-cum-political activist Pa Njie ‘Girigara’ has said Ousainu Darboe is the best hope main opposition UDP have to increase their vote tally in next year’s presidential election.
Appearing at West Coast Radio’s flagship morning show Coffee Time With Peter Gomez yesterday, Mr Njie, a supporter of President Adama Barrow of the ruling NPP, said given the contending forces in the UDP, the party’s best hope is to hedge its bet on the party leader in the 2026 presidential election.
He argued that choosing any of the young pretenders to Mr Darboe’s throne will result in division and consequently split the UDP votes as members supporting the unsuccessful faction will not back the candidacy of the chosen flag-bearer.
The UDP has of recent been rocked by internal squabbles over succession to Darboe who has unsuccessfully contested for the presidency since 1997.
A vocal faction in the party has argued that Mr Darboe should step down for Kanifing mayor, Talib Bensouda, who has a cross-party appeal and therefore stood a better chance of defeating Barrow. However, this position has been condemned by many rank and file members of the UDP including the popular Brikama Area Council chairman lawyer Yankuba Darboe and caused such a ruckus that the party leader had to make a public statement that he will seek the party’s endorsement to contest next year’s poll.
In an unrelated development, Mr Njie who said he will back Barrow’s bid next year, expressed his optimism that the time has come for The Gambia to have a female president. Although he shied away from calling names, he said there are a lot of females in the country who would make a formidable president.
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