NUP LEADER VOWS TO SALVAGE GAMBIA AT INAUGURAL RALLY
The leader of the opposition National Unity Party (NUP_ Lamin J Darbo has stormed the political arena with a massive inaugural rally in Gunjur Saturday where he declared that he is the right candidate to rescue Gambia in 2026 to set up a transparent, accountable and responsive government.
He told a surprisingly large crowd that an NUP government will usher in comprehensive reforms that ensure a total system change that would make Gambia a respected country across the globe.
According to Mr Darbo, corruption, idling and stealing of public wealth can only be eradicated in the country if the government is open and transparent and that transparency must start from the head of state. “The Gambia’s problems remain unresolved since independence due to bad governance and incompetent leadership wherein leaders are not responsive to the needs of the people but instead live luxurious lives, drive I tinted vehicles and take their children to expensive private schools and hospitals and these luxuries come at the expense of the very masses who put these leaders in this privileged positions,” the NUP leader lamented.
He cited the development trajectory of Singapore, a country he said gained independence in the same year as The Gambia but today overpassed Gambia in all spheres of development because they were led by “serious and competent leaders”.
“Singapore’s story shows that any country that is serious can achieve development. Our problem is leadership and governance. Even if we have the billions of Saudi Arabia, we cannot achieve anything with this way of bad governance. Our leaders are not accountable and development oriented. If they have good intentions for this country, we should not be importing rice because we should be producing enough rice to eat and export it. The cost of living is high because Gambia cannot produce even a match stick,”he said, vowing that NUP will change that trajectory. He said an NUP government will implement development programmes, empower women, improve public schools, public hospitals, in all parts of the country and see that the level of health care accorded to the president is available for every Gambian irrespective of their location.
Dual citizenship
Mr Darbo who also has British citizenship announced he would be revoking his British citizenship in line with the rule that bars presidential candidates from holding dual citizenship.
“I will be going back to the UK in the coming months in 2026 to return my British passport and renounce my UK citizenship,” he told supporters.
The NUP leader recalled he was once offered a cabinet position in 2017 but he declined the offer because of the dual citizen.
Source: The Standard
