By Kemo Kanyi
President Adama Barrow has reacted sharply to remarks by Dr Lamin Manneh, a senior executive member of the United Democratic Party (UDP).
Dr. Manneh says the UDP will announce its own presidential election results if the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) delays declaring the official results.
Addressing the National People’s Party (NPP) political rally in Lamin, West Coast Region on Saturday, President Barrow said Dr Manneh would be left disappointed after receiving results from the UDP’s polling agents on election day. He suggested that the party official would have to retreat following the outcome.
He also claimed that the democratic environment under his administration had created the space for Dr Manneh to enter active politics. “I have accepted too much democracy in The Gambia. That’s why people like Dr Manneh retired. He is bankrupt and now decided to enter into politics. He is seeking a position,” President Barrow said.
He added that there was a distinction between someone seeking political office and someone who had contributed through work and service.
President Barrow also referred to his previous involvement in the UDP, saying he served on the party’s executive for about 10 years and later became its treasurer.
He questioned Dr Manneh’s involvement in the party during some of its most difficult periods, particularly following the imprisonment of UDP leader Ousainou Darboe in 2016.
“I have never witnessed Dr Manneh’s assistance to the party. When Ousainou Darboe was imprisoned in 2016, I had never heard of Dr Manneh,” he said.
The President further criticized Dr Manneh for presenting himself as a strong supporter of the UDP despite, according to him, not being involved during earlier periods of political difficulty.
“Dr Manneh can never match my contributions in UDP until his death,” President Barrow said.
The exchange comes ahead of the December 2026 presidential election, with political parties and alliances intensifying their campaigns and preparations for the polls.