By Amadou Jadama
The UDP youth leader for West Coast Region has called on Gambians, in particular UDP members, to shun petty differences and rally behind President Barrow.
Foday Gassama said contrary to widespread reports, President Barrow is not planning to wean himself off the UDP and form a new political party.
He stressed: “President Adama Barrow is not going to form his own party. Anyone who cares about the truth should know that Barrow is still a member of UDP and is not going anywhere.
“In the past parliamentary and local government elections, all the candidates put up by the UDP were sponsored by President Barrow without exception. So if people are saying that he is planning to form his own party to betray UDP, it is unfounded and misleading information.
“These are the detractors who want to bring division in the UDP. They want to foment division between President Barrow and Vice President Darboe. I challenge any person to come up with a shred of evidence to show that President Barrow wants to form his party. President Barrow is a member of the UDP and after the transition period, he will go back to UDP. Many people will try but they will not be able to split the UDP.”
He added: “The UDP survived intact twenty years of sustained attacks from Jammeh. It is the party that suffered the most during the 22 years of Jammeh’s tyranny. President Barrow cannot and will never betray the UDP. Who appointed Ousainu Darboe, the UDP leader as vice president? Who appointed Dembo Bojang, the UDP national president as presidential adviser? Who appointed Lamin Ndanbung Dibba, Mariam Jack-Denton and all the other UDP people to key government positions? No one but President Barrow.
I therefore advise all UDP members to rally together and support President Barrow’s agenda as enshrined in the National Development Plan.”
Asked whether he supports the Barrow Youth for National Development association, the vocal UDP surrogate replied: “I support it because President Barrow and I come from the same party and I will continue to support and every member of the UDP should support his agenda because his home is the UDP. If he fails, it is the UDP that fails.”
