Africa-Press – Gambia. Prominent Gambian lawyer Lamin J Darbo has confirmed to The Standard yesterday that he had intended to apply for the United Democratic Party (UDP) flag bearer position but because of certain complicated conditions requiring applicants to renounce their dual citizenship within fourteen days, the door is shut on him.
On Sunday, the UDP announced it has opened the process of flag bearer selection for the 2026 presidential polls with some fifteen months to go. In the Gambian electoral process, a presidential candidate cannot hold dual citizenship.
The outspoken lawyer told The Standard yesterday that in his case, (a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) the flag bearer application window of 14 days is too short for him to conclude the renunciation process.
But according to Lamin J Darboe the renunciation requirement is unnecessary at this stage considering the elections are not until December 2026.
“So my message to the numerous supporters who contacted and encouraged me to apply is that I cannot complete the renunciation of my British citizenship within the UDP window,” Darboe lamented.
An unhappy J Darbo continued to question that in the present circumstances ‘are we about to witness the preferential treatment accorded to The Secretary General and Party Leader in flagrant disregard to internal due process?”
“For example, how is loyalty to the UDP and commitment to its principles demonstrated between non-executive members who contribute financially and executive members who do not contribute to the party’s coffers? In the 2020 UDP congress, I was in the United Kingdom and I contributed D10,000 to the event, twice more than the contribution of the entire executive committee that year according to the treasurer’s financial report,” Lamin J Darbe said.
He said another troubling aspect with the application process is how upholding the UDP code of conduct and commitment to the internal democratic selection process is demonstrated without resorting to subjective criteria.
“In 2021, there was no democratic process in the selection procedure because out of the four applicants, only Ousainu Darboe was given a hearing,” Barrister J Darboe said.
He alleged that other applicants were not even invited to participate in any interview or conversation.
“I know this because I had applied for the flag bearer position that year. The Secretary General and Party Leader was simply anointed in flagrant violation of UDP selection rules and universal principles of democratic process. This is germane as I recently heard Dr Manneh referenced me to demonstrate UDP internal democracy,” Lamin J Darboe said.
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