By Olimatou Coker
At his first media engagement since assuming the leadership of the National Unity Party, Lamin J. Darbo yesterday called on all Gambians to join the party and play their role in the emancipation of the country from stagnation.
According to him, the overriding objective of the 2026 presidential elections ”must mean that the nation elects a builder, not a person who views No. 1 Marina Parade as a place for sumptuous meals in the shade of the cool breezes of the blue Atlantic waters.’’
Darbo added that The Gambia must compete against the great democracies of the world to attract real investors, not the criminal variety adept at working the levers of state and the great corridors of power to make quick millions and disappear from our shores with the connivance of short-termist public servants. “We must preserve the sovereign assets of our nation, be open for business but alerted to the dangers of corruption and paper-based criminality,” Darbe warned.
The NUP leader said his party is willing to engage in genuine coalition talks ahead of the 2026 presidential election but he warned that such engagements must be genuine and meaningful so that they can yield dividends to Gambians.
Asked if he will be part of any coalition where he is not chosen leader, Darbo said; “It depends. We want to be part of a coalition, but not one headed by somebody who does not have the basic understanding of governance. We’re not going to support anybody who cannot rescue this country,” he said.
The NUP leader said the objective of such a coalition should not be just to win state house but its leader must have the credentials for quality governance and integrity to lead the country out of the quagmire it was placed in since 1965.
