Africa-Press – Gambia. A spirited soul recently took exception to my latest article calling on President Adama Barrow to clarify the fate of former President Yahya Jammeh’s forfeited assets. While criticism is the currency of public discourse—and I welcome it in good faith—I must take a moment to respond to some of the tangled assumptions and hasty judgments buried in that particular commentary.
First things first: I am, and remain, a devoted member of the APRC—the very party that entered into a deliberate, transparent, and strategic alliance with President Barrow’s NPP in the run-up to the 2021 presidential elections. This was no backroom deal struck in the shadows. I was not merely a bystander; I was a participant in the very conversations that birthed the Memorandum of Understanding between the two camps. We knew what we were doing, and we did it for The Gambia.
Now, let us talk about support. To lend one’s backing to a government does not mean surrendering one’s conscience at the altar of political convenience. My vote for President Barrow—like the votes of over 457,000 Gambians—was cast in the belief that he was the most viable steward for our national affairs at that moment. But my support does not come shrink-wrapped in blind loyalty. I do not check my intellect at the door of democracy. Support without scrutiny is sycophancy, and I am not, nor have I ever been, a sycophant.
To criticize a government you support is not treason; it is patriotism in its purest form. It is what breathes life into democracy. It is what ensures that our leaders do not mistake power for a pedestal above reproach. I have never—and will never—be the kind of man who watches silently while questionable policies unfold before his eyes. My loyalty lies not with titles, offices, or smiling handshakes—it lies with truth, country, and principle.
One part of the critique, curiously, attempted to throw shade on my employment—or lack thereof—in the Barrow administration. To that, I say plainly: yes, there were efforts to engage me in a capacity suited to my background as a former commander of the Gambia National Army. The efforts did not bear fruit, but my integrity remains untouched. Had I taken a government role, I would have remained the same voice of reason and responsibility, unwilling to be gagged by a paycheck. That has always been my way—from the days of the PPP, through the APRC, to the current NPP-led government.
But alas, in our politically charged arena, we are caught in a maddening paradox. Support the president? You’re instantly called a bootlicker. Dare to question the same administration? Suddenly you’re bitter, sidelined, or disloyal. Such simplistic, binary thinking is not only lazy—it is poisonous to the kind of political maturity we so desperately need in this country.
Let us be honest: political alliances are not written in stone; they are living, breathing pacts that reflect the ebb and flow of national interest. Even global politics is rich with examples—President Nixon shook hands in Beijing at a time when the Cold War was red-hot. Western powers that once shunned Iran or Venezuela now reengage them under new circumstances. Were those acts betrayals? No—they were pragmatic recalibrations, dictated by changing tides.
So too must we, in The Gambia, allow space for political nuance. For flexibility. For the ability to praise where praise is due, and to critique where critique is necessary. To do otherwise is to imprison ourselves in ideological cages, where loyalty is measured not by integrity but by silence.
I still stand with the NPP-led government not because I believe it to be flawless, but because, as of now, I believe it represents our best chance at stability, progress, and national unity. Should a better alternative emerge—one that offers clearer vision, stronger leadership, and deeper commitment to our collective well-being—I will not hesitate to shift my stance. That is not betrayal; that is responsibility.
So let us put to rest this notion that support equals silence. Real patriotism demands courage in both applause and dissent. I will always stand where the interest of the Gambian people is best served—even if that means standing alone.
Source: Kerr Fatou Online Media House
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