By Kemo Kanyi
President Adama Barrow has accused opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Ousainu Darboe of misleading political partners with his pledge to serve only five years if elected president.
Barrow made the remarks on Monday in the Upper River Region (URR) during his ongoing nationwide tour, where he has been launching road infrastructure projects.
He claimed that Darboe’s commitment to a single five-year term was not credible, warning supporters against trusting the pledge.
“He is politicking and deceiving other parties with this pronouncement,” Barrow said, referring to Darboe’s statement on term length.
The president further suggested that Darboe would remain in office beyond the promised period if elected, adding in a political remark: “If you mistakenly give him this country, he will get old…”
Barrow also commented on the emergence of new opposition political parties, arguing that some actors were motivated by personal interests rather than national development. He said political openness in the country had encouraged wider participation, but cautioned against what he described as opportunistic politics.
According to Barrow, the current democratic environment has enabled more political actors to emerge, though he suggested some of them were previously absent from the political scene under past political conditions.
Opposition figures have not yet publicly responded to the president’s remarks.