By Tabora Bojang
The United Democratic Party lawmaker, Sulayman Saho, has cautioned party supporters against perceiving persons believed to be interested in leading the party in the 2026 presidential election as “enemies” or persons attempting to “split” the party.
He warned that failure to do so could risk “dividing” the party thereby “paving the way for President Barrow’s power entrenchment.”
The Central Baddibu NAM’s advice came at a time members and supporters of the party informally exchange ideas over a possible change of baton in the 2026 election from the veteran Lawyer Ousainu Darboe to someone else.
In an audio shared with The Standard, Saho said: “We have to be very cautious going into the 2026 presidential election. We are at a crossroads and we have to diligently manage these circumstances and we should not be afraid to negotiate. People who are interested in leading the party should be able to sit together, discuss and iron out their differences before the right time comes. And we should be able to do this with respect and dignity to every member, whether those interested in being a standard bearer or not. Let us understand that every member of the party has a right to contest. Yes, not everyone can be a leader because many are called but few are chosen. Therefore, we should not consider as enemies those who have ambition to lead the party. They are not enemies. They should not be seen as bad people or greedy people with intent to split the party. If we do that, then we are tainting them and that could make it difficult for us to stand for them and support them in the future against any opponents”.
Saho added that the UDP is a party built on representative democracy, good governance and freedom and respect for divergence, and no member should be “vilified” just for believing, wanting or suspected of wanting to lead the party to victory.
“If people choose Ousainu Darboe to lead, then we should accept it with faith and if they choose someone else, we should accept it because the voice of the people is the voice of God. But we have not reached that stage because the presidential election is far off. So, let us do everything in peace, respect and dignity and avoid having hate for one another,” Saho urged UDP supporters.
The Central Baddibu lawmaker also condemned the ongoing wrangling among some party supporters, stating that it will not “help the party in any way.”
“All what we are looking for is to take over State House and remove Barrow from office at the polls, but if we are divided, we are just opening a way for Barrow to win a third term. We cannot afford to lose our people. The people who are perceived as potential leaders are needed in this party and even those who are not interested. It is only God who knows who the next president will be. So let us take it easy. Let us support each other and respect our elders and party leaders. They have the wisdom and understanding that they have inheritors who can steer the affairs of the party and it is they themselves who pointed those people out to us. If you play with your inheritor, your compound breaks,” he warned.
