Africa-Press – Gambia. President Adama Barrow has dismissed claims that opposition parties in The Gambia pose a significant threat to his re-election as the country prepares for the 2026 presidential election.
Speaking at a mega political rally in Sukuta on Saturday, the Gambian leader urged his supporters to ignore such narratives, emphasizing that the rooted strength of his party, the National People’s Party (NPP), undermines the survival of opposition groups in the political arena.
His remarks came after Minister Hamat Bah warned that a movement led by Talib Ahmed Bensouda, Mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) and leader of the Unite for Change Movement (UCM), poses the biggest challenge to the NPP’s re-election, adding that the government is prepared to counter any plans by the movement. President Barrow, however, reassured his supporters, saying:
“I do not have any threat in this country. I am the threat to others, but they are not a threat to me.”
On opposition United Democratic Party leader Ousainu Darboe, the Gambian leader noted that despite Darboe’s long stay in opposition, he does not fear him or any other opposition figure. Reflecting on Darboe’s political role, Barrow said: “I once told people that the position my father holds, as an opposition leader and a lawyer, is untouchable. No matter how powerful you are, you cannot take those positions from Honourable Ousainu Darboe. These are his defining roles.”
President Barrow also recalled that the title ‘His Excellency’ Darboe is carrying was conferred during his tenure as Vice President under his government. He noted that if the administration were failing, Darboe could not have achieved such a position.
He further highlighted his personal intervention when Darboe was in Jammeh’s custody.
“I took him out of prison when he was desperate, to the point of referring to me as ‘Nabiyullah Musa.’ I also accorded him the respect of calling him Nelson Manda,” President Barrow recalled.
President Barrow described Darboe’s actions at the time as reflective of a moment of extreme desperation, noting that Darboe feared for his life.
The President concluded by reinforcing his confidence in the NPP’s strength and his determination to face the election without fear of opposition challenges.
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