By Dr Lamin K Janneh
Africa-Press – Gambia. For over thirty years, critics have searched with obsession, hoping to uncover a blemish against HE ANM Ba-Ousainou Darboe. They have probed his moral standing, examined his professional conduct, and questioned his political choices. Yet after decades of scrutiny, what have they found? Nothing. Not a single credible instance of moral failure, incompetence, or ethical misconduct. And why? Because the man they seek to discredit is one who has anchored his life on principle, clothed his leadership in integrity, and devoted his existence to the cause of The Gambia. If electability is to be measured by moral uprightness, competence, and ethical clarity, then Darboe has long surpassed the standard.
Yet astonishingly, there are some within the very fold of UDP who peddle a most unfortunate narrative – that Ba-Ousainou has “contested and lost” elections, and therefore is incapable of winning in The Gambia. What a shallow, unrealistic, and unfounded claim! One must ask, with baffling disbelief: do such individuals even understand what UDP stands for? Or are they merely masqueraders draped in yellow, whose loyalty evaporates the moment victory is delayed?
The UDP is not, and never has been, a tailor-made outfit for Darboe’s ambition. It is a covenant of justice, democracy, accountability, and hope. It is a movement that places the nation above self and principles above convenience. To reduce its mission to a scorecard of electoral victories and defeats is not only insulting but reveals a mindset unworthy of true membership. Indeed, the question is not whether Darboe is capable of winning, but whether you – who question him – are capable of fidelity to the values you claim to uphold.
Let it be clear: The United Democratic Party has formally opened applications for suitable and qualified individuals to contest for the party’s flagbearership through its Central Committee. And should HE ANM Ba-Ousainou Darboe – the very embodiment of resilience, endurance, and principle – apply and be entrusted once again, he will, without question, represent us in the 2026 elections. And we, the true believers in this cause, shall rally behind him – not merely because he is Darboe, but because he is the living symbol of our vision for a just and dignified Gambia.
And now the choice rests with The Gambia and her people: to redeem ourselves from Adama Barrow’s self-serving, corrupt, divisive, deceptive, venomous, cancerous, and tribalist administration, or to settle shamefully for his failed leadership, bigotry, and toxic governance. To doubt Darboe in this decisive hour is not just to doubt a man; it is to doubt the very possibility of national redemption.
So, to those within our fold who cling to the empty refrain of “he cannot win”, history will not judge Darboe by your doubts – it will judge you by your betrayal. And when the chronicles are written, it will be said that while some wavered and mocked, Darboe stood firm, and the people of conscience stood with him.
Source: The Standard Newspaper | Gambia
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