By Aminata Kuyateh
Amadou Sankareh, the chairman of the Holland branch of the National People’s Party who doubles as the party’s diaspora public relations officer, has publicly announced his decision not to support incumbent President Adama Barrow’s bid for a third term in office.
In recent TV interview, Barrow indicated his desire contest for a third term in 2026 presidential election.
The president assumed office in January 2017 after defeating long-time incumbent Yahya Jammeh and was re-elected in 2021. Initially, he was part of a coalition that agreed to a three-year transitional government, after which he was expected to step down. However, he extended his tenure to the constitutionally mandated five years and subsequently sought re-election.
Sankareh, who hailed from Basse Dampha Kunda, expressed his reservations about supporting another term for President Barrow. While acknowledging the president’s constitutional right to seek re-election he emphasised that adherence to initial promises made to the Gambian populace is very paramount.
He stated: “The president said the reason for him going for a third term is because our party [NPP] is still a baby and that the party will die if he is not there. This means the president does not trust his children as he calls us and the party supporters at large. President Barrow is clearly telling us that if he’s not in the NPP, the party will die because there is no capable person in the party except him”.
The diaspora spokesperson also disputed the president’s claim that he will seek re-election in the interest of the party. He charged that Barrow is instead only interested in serving his interest.
“If we continue to support the president’s third term, we will betray Gambians,” he charged. Sankareh urged Gambians to rally around a no-to-a-third term agenda and advocate for a two-term limit for any president to maintain peace in the country, noting that the desire by incumbent leaders to seek third terms has led to civil and political strife in many African countries.
He said those citing Barrow’s ongoing development initiatives as the reason for him to seek another term should realise that a government is a continuum and that no single individual can accomplish all of the country’s development priorities.
