Dear Editor,
The poster, purportedly from the NPP, announcing a rally specifically for the Manjago ethnic group, represents a dangerous and unprecedented descent into tribal politics. It seeks to mobilise an ethnic community as a political bloc, a development that can only further polarise our society. This poster confirms that the NPP is a leading perpetrator of the very tribalism that should concern every citizen.
These concerns are heightened by the divisive and exclusionary rhetoric witnessed during the ongoing “Meet the People” tour. An official, publicly funded exercise should provide an opportunity to assess government performance and hear citizens’ concerns. Its conversion into a partisan platform, alongside inflammatory remarks by political leaders and supporters, demands public scrutiny and accountability.
The President must recognise that his oath of office is to uphold the Constitution, protect the integrity of public institutions, maintain the unity and harmony of the Gambian people, and defend the rights and dignity of all citizens. This oath places him under a legal obligation to shun tribalism in all its forms. By any standard, President Barrow and his government have a duty to reject any attempt to politicise ethnicity.
Mobilising citizens as ethnic voting blocs sends a dangerous signal that undermines the principles of equal citizenship and national unity the President is sworn to uphold. If the NPP seeks to rally Manjago citizens as an ethnic bloc, will it organise other communities in the same way, and will other parties follow?
Will ethnic groups feel pressured to declare partisan allegiance in response? What happens to communities that are not invited or refuse to align with any party, and to individuals whose political choices differ from the allegiance claimed in their community’s name? Will electoral outcomes then become an excuse to reward some communities, neglect others, and punish citizens for exercising their freedom of choice?
This new form of divisive politics is even more dangerous because ethnic groups are not politically homogenous. Every ethnic group contains members who support various parties; no group supports a party en masse.
Therefore, mobilising an ethnic group as a bloc creates division within that group between supporters and opponents. Will an ethnic group become a target for reprisals if a party feels it did not receive enough votes from that bloc? Will a winning candidate favour or deny a particular region, community, or ethnic group based on their voting patterns?
This is why tribal-based politics is not only divisive and unconstitutional but fundamentally undemocratic. It has the potential to favour, deny, punish, or marginalise regions, communities, and individuals. Our political history bears this out when the tinpot dictator Yahya Jammeh once targeted Kiang for years simply because he was not getting enough votes from there. More recently, Barrow was also rebuking certain Mandinka villages and communities for not voting for him.
This decision by the NPP is therefore a direct threat to democracy and undermines the Constitution through its potential for favouritism and denial. It is a threat to unity and harmony between and within ethnic groups, undermining national cohesion and peace.
The Constitution gives the vote to individuals, not ethnic groups. Partisan politics and canvassing must target individuals and respond to the needs of communities and not target ethnic groups as electoral blocs. To demand ethnic support overshadows the rights and needs of citizens and turns politics into a competition between and within ethnic groups, to the detriment of the nation.
President Barrow must be told that the presidency is not a life-and-death pursuit that justifies disregarding the Constitution, abandoning democratic norms, or destroying national unity.
As a sitting president, he should seek re-election on the strength of his record, performance, and proposals. If these fail to convince Gambians, he must respect their verdict and leave office. Exploiting ethnicity and sectarian sentiment to secure another term is unconscionable, irresponsible, and unethical, risking divisions whose consequences may endure long after the election.
No to third term!
For The Gambia, Our Homeland
Activist Madi Jobarteh
Kembujeh
