Main opposition UDP leader Ousainu Darboe has condemned what he calls ‘threatening’ remarks made by president Adama Barrow against UDP Banjul North lawmaker Modou Lamin Bah calling it a sign of a dictatorial tendency that Gambians should not allow to mature.
Addressing a meeting in Banjul during his Meet the People’s Tour, Barrow accused Hon Bah of leading youths to protest in front of the State House over power outages in September calling it a “treasonable offense.”
But in his reaction, Darboe accused the president of posing a grave “threat” to the liberty of the lawmaker. “I do not expect such an ‘irresponsible’ statement to come from the president of the country,” Darboe told The Standard.
He said the president’s claim that Bah’s actions constitute treason is misleading and untrue. “Let them go and ask their lawyers what constitutes treason,” Darboe challenged.
The opposition leader said he is disappointed that the president would stand on a platform and start “spewing incomprehensible” remarks that are not presidential.
“He is showing his dictatorial tendencies and we should not allow that to mature. That is why Gambians must change him. He should be voted out,” the veteran opposition leader said.
He said Hon Bah was right to interpret that such remarks coming from the head of state posed a threat to his life.
The UDP leader described the Meet the People’s Tour as a “big failure” marred by excessive abuse of state resources. “We know all these meetings are stage managed. All those people who stood on the platforms and were praising him were selected. They select their speakers and dictate to them what to say,” Darboe said.
