By Omar Bah
The United Democratic Party leader, Ousainu Darboe has urged President Adama Barrow to concentrate on pressing issues that affect the Gambian people and stop making him subject of his campaign.
The UDP leader added that attacking him will not take the country anywhere.
“The president should concentrate on the issues affecting this country which include the high cost of living. During Jammeh’s time a cup of rice was D8. He promised to bring it down if elected but today a cup of rice is D20. These are the issues he should concentrate on but attacking or talking about Ousainu Darboe will not take this country anywhere,” Darboe told supporters in Sabach Sanjal.
The former vice president, who was responding to the Gambian leader’s attacks on his person, said President Barrow will go to “any length to entrench himself in power”.
“But I am convinced that Gambians will vote you out of office because you want to bring back dictatorship and tyranny into this country. You do not deserve to lead this country; you do not have the character, the intelligence and the level of education and honesty to lead us. We don’t need such a president in this country,” Darboe said.
Darboe also warned Barrow against attempts to destroy the UDP.
“You said we are hypocrites and you will wipe out the UDP in this country. But I want to tell you that it is the NPP that will be wiped out in December. Adama Barrow, I want to remind you the day myself, Lamin Ndambu Dibba, Aji Yam Secka and Karamo Jadama were at State House at 5 o’clock, when I told you we would show anyone who wanted to disintegrate UDP that he cannot do it. Anyone who wants to wipe out the UDP in this country will be wiped out himself. Yahya Jammeh tried it and we all saw how he ended,” he said.
Darboe argued that the only way Barrow wants to eliminate the UDP “is to suppress our rights but if you resort to the democratic process, you cannot eliminate any party in this country”.
“We have always advised our people to avoid confrontation but if you are the president, you should be a role model and bring people on board. I have told you UDP wants a government that respects the rights of the people,” he added.
Reacting to Barrow’s claims that he [Darboe] was the CEO of the Three Years Jotna, Darboe responded: “That is factious nonsense. You know very well between you and God that in the cabinet when OJ said after three years, the government should step down or else he will resign, I told you to allow me to deal with him legally and when Halifa Sallah said you should step down after three years, I told you the same thing. It is today that you will claim I am their CEO. But if I am their CEO, that would mean I aided and abated it, why didn’t you charge me and take me to court? A president should not stand and say things that are not true. This is something the Gambian people should be embarrassed about. Now that you are ready for verbal war, I will destroy you because I will tell the whole Gambia your nonsense claims and lies.”
