Activist Madi Jobarteh has urged the leadership of the United Democratic Party to ask their members to stand down and allow the NPP to peacefully celebrate their election victory.
Mr Jobarteh said the UDP should “go to the courtroom and not on the streets”.
“The election results cannot be overturned in the street, therefore UDP will bear responsibility if violence erupts in this country,” Jobarteh said on his Facebook page.
He added: “Lawyer Darboe should understand that he bears command responsibility for the actions of his supporters in this circumstance, just as every other supporter also bears individual responsibility if they violate the law.”
The leadership of UDP, Madi added, has the legal capacity to know better. “Therefore, Lawyer Darboe should put it to his supporters to stand down ASAP. They have no reason whatsoever to be on the street. They must follow due process. President Adama Barrow and the NPP are the winners of the December 4 election until the next election in 2026 or if the Supreme Court annuls the results. Until then there’s no justification for their current actions and no one has any power to overturn the verdict of the people,” he noted.
He said the UDP leadership should “be honest to their membership especially the uninformed youths and not give them any false impressions or expectations.”
Jorbateh said the NPP should be “let to celebrate as they wish peacefully and without violence. All other parties should give them space. This would have been the case if it were Ousainu Darboe or Halifa Sallah or Essa Faal or any other candidate who was declared by the IEC Chairman as the duly elected president”.
“For the moment the duly elected president is Adama Barrow of NPP. Therefore, let’s give the NPP the chance and space to celebrate their victory. Period. The men and women of conscience in UDP who are honest and brave should impress on their leadership and membership to stand down! The actions of their members are undemocratic, uncivil and unnecessarily irresponsible.
“All other political leaders, religious and traditional as well as business and CSO leaders and all men and women of conscience should speak up by telling the truth to Ousainu Darboe and UDP to stand down. Go to court and not on the street,” he concluded.
