By Mohammed Jallow
Gambian politics remains one of the most entertaining spectacles in the subregion. Our nation possesses a unique ability to merge governance with stand up comedy and nowhere is this blend more beautifully displayed than in the political choreography of the United Democratic Party and its long serving maestro Ousainu Darboe. For nearly three decades the UDP has presented itself as the guardian of national conscience. A party that believes it alone carries the sacred blueprint of good governance. Yet whenever the stage lights shine on them their performance reveals a stunning capacity for contradiction. Their political doctrine often feels like a philosophical puzzle written in chalk that washes away the moment rain falls on their own actions.
Since the birth of the UDP in 1996 the party has marched loyally behind its flamboyant leader whose dream of presidency has outlived multiple political eras but still remains at the border of imagination. The closest the party ever came to tasting the real flavour of executive power was when Ousainu Darboe ascended to the highly esteemed office of Vice President. This was the grand moment the UDP had waited for. The hour destiny finally permitted them to sip from the fountain of authority. And immediately upon sitting in that venerated chair Darboe discovered a newfound addiction to national prestige. Suddenly the title Vice President felt insufficient. He needed something regal. Something majestic. Something that would make even the wind salute him when he walked. Thus emerged his request to be addressed as His Excellency. Not by courtesy. Not by implication. By deliberate choice.
And to the amusement of the nation he succeeded. His Excellency Ousainu Darboe. A title that he still savours with spiritual satisfaction. Although he ceased to occupy that office long ago the man still delights in hearing HE attached to his name as if he is a retired emperor awaiting restoration. Even those close to him confirm that if you mistakenly call him Mr Darboe instead of His Excellency he may forgive you but he will do so with the facial expression of a man who is convinced you attempted a national insult.
What makes this even more comical is the frequency with which Darboe compares himself to President Adama Barrow. His speeches often sound like a man battling a twin who won the lottery ticket he believes was intended for him. Whether it is economic policy, infrastructural launch, diplomatic engagement or simply the manner in which the president walks down a staircase Darboe insists he would have performed with more elegance and national sophistication. If the president breathes Darboe sometimes gives the impression that he would have breathed with more patriotic purpose.
Yet the humour lies in the fact that every single thing Darboe criticises Barrow for he himself practiced when given the opportunity. When the president engages in international travel the UDP calls it wasteful yet Darboe enjoyed the same diplomatic trips when he held office. When the president appoints ministers the UDP calls it political favouritism yet years ago the UDP was actively participating in the same ministerial selections. When the president forms alliances the UDP calls it opportunism yet Darboe himself has formed alliances that would make even a fisherman proud of his nets.
But the masterpiece of contradiction grows even richer with the UDP’s newly announced adventure. The party proudly declared that they are on the verge of embarking on a nationwide tour. A grand mission they say aims to reconnect with the people, reawaken the party spirit and restore their position as the leading opposition. This announcement provoked two questions among the Gambian public. First, where exactly have they been all these years. Second, will this national pilgrimage include Darboe riding on a golden chariot labelled His Excellency with a loudspeaker reciting all the times he believes he would have outperformed the president.
The upcoming tour would have been perfectly ordinary if not for the fact that the UDP often condemns the president whenever he undertakes nationwide engagements. When the president goes on tour they call it wasteful. When he meets citizens they call it political manipulation. When he inspects development projects they call it self promotion. Yet suddenly the UDP is preparing to embark on the very same tour they attack the government for. It is a classic example of political amnesia. They forget that what they deem inappropriate for the president becomes perfectly noble when they themselves do it. It is the equivalent of someone criticising a neighbour for boiling water too often and then launching a nationwide celebration for boiling their own.
Another delicious layer of irony is the fact that the UDP’s nationwide tour is being packaged as a demonstration of readiness to lead. Yet if leadership were measured by tours then every commercial bus driver would have been sworn in by now. Leadership requires consistency, strategy and a firm grasp of national realities. Not simply standing on a vehicle roof while shouting promises into the breeze.
Darboe’s comparisons with President Barrow remain the eternal theatre of Gambian politics. Each time Barrow makes a move Darboe responds as if they are contestants in a lifelong competition. When Barrow visits a construction site Darboe claims he would have inspected it more intelligently. When Barrow inaugurates a road Darboe claims he would have cut the ribbon more ceremoniously. When Barrow shakes hands with a foreign dignitary Darboe insists he would have gripped with firmer diplomatic confidence. If Barrow were to drink a cup of attaya Darboe might claim he would have sipped it with more patriotic intensity.
Yet the ultimate truth remains simple. Barrow is president. Darboe is not. Barrow has won elections. Darboe has not. Barrow commands the machinery of state because the people placed him there. Darboe commands the UDP because they have nowhere else to put him. The two men are fundamentally different and the more Darboe forces comparisons the more the nation wonders whether he truly understands that leadership is bestowed by the electorate not by personal conviction.
The UDP today continues to portray itself as the voice of principle yet chooses which principles matter depending on the weather. They criticise government spending but remain silent on their own spending. They condemn presidential privileges but still enjoy the warm afterglow of His Excellency. They attack mobilisation tours but now prepare for a mobilisation tour of their own. Their political reasoning functions like a mirror that only reflects what they want to see.
The Gambian people observe all this with a blend of laughter and contemplation. They respect every political party. They appreciate democratic plurality. But they also expect sincerity. A political organisation that condemns what it secretly practices cannot inspire national confidence. An opposition that forgets its own past cannot effectively shape the future. A leader who cannot separate himself from constant comparison cannot rise to genuine greatness.
As the UDP prepares for its grand nationwide tour perhaps they should carry along a notebook titled Personal Reflections on Consistency. It may serve them well as they travel from region to region explaining why their criticism dissolves whenever they come close to power. The nation deserves a mature political culture. One built on principle not drama. On vision not nostalgia. On truth not selective memory.
Until then Gambians will continue to watch the UDP spectacle with a smile. Because in the theatre of politics nothing is more entertaining than a party that criticises the very path it is now joyfully preparing to walk. And nothing is more amusing than a leader who demands to be called His Excellency even while competing with a president who has already been chosen by the people.
The nation sees everything. The contradictions. The comedy. The comparisons. And the never ending quest for relevance.
And that is why the UDP remains one of the most fascinating characters in the great Gambian political story.
