By Lamin Cham
President Joe Biden of the United States may be far removed from The Gambia but his decision to drop an ambition to seek re-election has got Gambians talking and wishing their two main politicians take his example.
They are Ousainu Darboe, leader of the main opposition United Democratic Party who contested the presidency five times and is allegedly heading for another shot, and President Adama Barrow. There have been widespread calls, even among his party supporters, for him to give way in 2026 and allow the party to pick someone else.
However, the matter remains a thorny issue in the party with officials desperately trying to play down the topic or delay any debate about it until 2026.
”I think Darboe should learn a thing or two from Joe Biden and listen to voices of members of his party in the interest of the party. A political party should aim to put up fresh people with good prospects to attract voters and get the party into government. It is self-destructive to stick to only one candidate for a lifetime.
In the long run, even if you bring an angel on the party’s ticket, he would not get elected. Biden was within the law and very much poised to take on Trump even for personal reasons but he listened to voices and interest of his party and did the right thing. Darboe should follow suit,” a seasoned analyst who preferred to be anonymous told The Standard.
He further opined that President Barrow too would do himself great good by not going for a third term. “Barrow’s problem is not about perpetual election contesting but trust, or the lack of it between him and the people of The Gambia. He had made a promise on his tenure once before and broke it. Again, though initially there were strong indications that he many not run in 2026 (to recapture the lost trust) now, there are manifestations that people surrounding him are gradually influencing him to run. The president should save his image and legacy and ignore sycophants around him to step down at the end of his second term. He has the best opportunity to put the country on a sound democratic footing by entrenching the term limit by leading way himself. That way, he would be a hero and a legend in Gambian politics,” our analyst said.
He concluded that both men have a choice to do a Biden or miss a golden opportunity.
