By Omar Bah
On Tuesday evening, a leading supporter and financer of the UDP, Alagie Conteh, declared at a rally in Jambur that he has shifted his political allegiance to the NPP of President Barrow. Conteh,the chief executive of Dabanani, the country’s biggest private electricals company,is an influential figure in the politics of Kombo.
Many in the yellow party were shell-shocked at the news of his joining the NPP. Reacting to the news, UDP spokesperson Almami Taal yesterday told The Standard: “Many in the Barrow government have one objective and that is how to destroy UDP. Bogus commissions are set up; adversely mentioned people are ministers of state; indicted people are freed by courts while others are reinstated in the public service of The Gambia.”
MC Cham, the opposition GDC youth leader also accused President Barrow of copying from Jammeh’s “play book”.
“President Barrow has abdicated his responsibility to serve as president of all Gambians without fear, favour or ill will,” he charged.
But an NPP surrogate, Omar Dinding Bojang, rubbished the criticism, saying: “We all heard from the horse’s mouth that he took the decision to join the NPP by himself and that it is his constitutional right. So, we have to respect that. Alagie Conteh and President Barrow were friends who had issues and now reconciled. There reconciliation is in the best interest of Alagie, his family and the people of Kombo. That is all that matters.”
