Darboe lays out ambitious path for contest against Barrow, as tensions reach frightening crescendo.

The Vice President of The Gambia and leader of the United Democratic Party, Ousainou Darboe, last week scorched president Barrow over his comments in public space scooping credit for Jammeh’s defenestration in 2016 elections. Addressing party faithful in Bakoteh amid stratospherically elevated tensions with President Barrow, Darboe charged: “There are people boasting and taking credit for the change that took place in 2016 in The Gambia. People often forget easily. They tend to forget the cause of the causes. The late Solo Sandeng was the primary cause for Gambia’s political change. Why beating your chest; taking credit of the change, and we all know that Solo Sandeng was the one behind the change that liberated The Gambia from dictatorship. Solo Sandeng’s spirit pushed us to demonstrate against the former Jammeh regime. If we had not demonstrated against the Jammeh regime, nobody was going to win the election, whoever you might be; nobody. We should all pay tribute to Solo Sandeng. We should all acknowledge Solo Sandeng’s supreme sacrifice to free this country. We cannot engage in self-glorification and forget Solo Sandeng. He was the cause for the change. We should acknowledge that; if we don’t then we are being ungrateful; then we are not being truthful to ourselves,”. In a not-so-subtle adumbration of his political ambitions, Darboe excoriated sceptics who view his age as a weakeness. The veteran politician declared: “They are sitting out there falsely saying that I am not contended. Contented for what? They are sitting out there saying that I am old. Agreed. I want to thank God for preserving my life. I am praying to God to further prolong my life. 

Nelson Mandela, at age 72, he walks out of prison to lead South Africa. I am saying that I am not desperate to be the President of The Gambia, but I will be proud to lead The Gambia, when I am age 73. President Buhari is more than 73 years of age.”