Reflecting on an article from 2020 following the UDP Congress, its relevance persists today. It covers Ousainou Darboe’s hesitance to relinquish the UDP leadership in favor of a younger successor, echoing Joe Biden’s decision to pass the Democratic Party nomination to his Vice President.
Fatoumatta: Which UDP member would dare to challenge Baa Ousainou Darboe? Opposition leader Ousainou Darboe is set to be the only candidate at his party’s national congress. No one has stepped forward to challenge the ‘Lion of Dobo,’ the conqueror of Bansang and Fulladou. He is considered the messiah; there was no one before him, and there will be none after him. The noisemakers, who are they? Who are their parents? Does anyone listen to them?
Alagi Yorro Jallow.
Reflecting on the past, my prediction about Lawyer Ousainou Darboe’s political strategy has consistently been accurate. I foresaw that he would never permit anyone else, whether old or young, to lead the United Democratic Party (UDP) as long as he lives. Indeed, Ousainou Darboe has confirmed my prophecy by making a definitive statement about his political career. He has declared that he will only retire from politics or the leadership of the UDP upon his death or if he becomes incapacitated. Darboe, a key figure in Gambian politics, was among the founders of the UDP in 1996 and has served as the party’s flag bearer, yet he has not won an election and is not prepared to relinquish his position to a younger party member for the 2026 presidential elections. His dedication to his party and political role is clear from such statements. This perspective was previously published in 2020 following the UDP Party Congress, asserting that Darboe would run in the 2021 elections and that no one would ever challenge him for the leadership and flag bearer position of the UDP.
Which member of the UDP is bold enough to challenge Baa Ousainou Darboe?
“For what is wedlock forced but hell,
An age of discord and continual strife
Whereas the contrary bringeth bliss
And is a pattern of celestial peace.”
-William Shakespeare, 1 Henry VI
Fatoumatta: I hope that regrets will not become the inevitable companions of old age. I pray that the ominous clouds looming over the United Democratic Party (UDP) do not unleash storms, tear off roofs, and deride hopes and expectations. Why would members of the United Democratic Party (UDP) dare to challenge Ousainou Darboe’s ambition to become the President of the Republic of The Gambia under the UDP banner? About five years ago, when President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda was questioned about not stepping down for a younger successor, he replied, “How can I leave a banana plantation I have cultivated that has begun to bear fruit?”
Politicians who are fixated on their own strength believe they must prevail in every competition, regardless of their actual capabilities. They consider themselves never too old or frail for the pursuits of politics, wealth, and romance. They aspire to depart this life in control of the nation’s helm, its challenges, and its assets. Those unable to vie for power themselves seek to install pliable figureheads as leaders. I am intrigued by this, and I eagerly anticipate observing how Baa Ousainou Darboe will manage his retirement in the UDP. On December 4, 2020, prior to the United Democratic Party (UDP) Congress, I authored an article titled “Democracy of Crowning: Congress of Coronation and the Last Man,” discussing the personalistic leadership challenges faced by Ousainou Darboe and the UDP.
Opposition leader Ousainou Darboe will be the only candidate at his party’s national congress. No challenger has emerged to face the ‘lion of Dobo’, the victor of Bansang and Fulladou. He is seen as the sole savior. There is no one else; there will be none like him. The critics, who are they? What is their lineage? Does anyone heed their words? In today’s Gambia, money, power, and politics, along with godfatherism and the votes of godsons, dictate everything. Only the affluent, the influential, and tribal leaders ascend to power.
Fatoumatta: The article elaborated: “Leadership is defined as the capacity to influence followers’ desires, rather than compelling obedience through rewards and punishments. Within the United Democratic Party (UDP) and for Baa, Ousainou is more than a leader; he is a Messiah, akin to ‘the Gambia’s Nelson Mandela.’ Under the mantra ‘Ala Kulli Haal,’ Baa Ousainou Numukunda Darboe is affirmed as the Party leader and is set to be proclaimed the standard-bearer at the forthcoming United Democratic Party Congress.”
No individual born of a woman will challenge the party leader’s ticket and the standard-bearer of the United Democratic Party (UDP) alongside Baa Ousainou Darboe. The UDP will select the party’s political titan; furthermore, no person can surpass or compete with Baa Ousainou Numukunda Darboe. The fate was sealed a long time ago. ‘Darboe Jula Dorong’ And when you survey the battlefield and all that remains are the shattered heads and limbs of once formidable adversaries, you may consider yourself the supreme victor in all of life’s competitions.
The leadership and militants of the United Democratic Party (UDP) shared this sentiment. They remained comfortably seated in government as the nation’s primary opposition party, buoyed by Baa Ousainou’s assurances that they would govern uninterrupted under a UDP-led administration, “Inshallah,” following the 2021 Presidential election. They had, after all, boasted of their support base and deep-rooted grassroots politics. The article expressed concern: If I were Baa Ousainou Darboe, I would be preoccupied with how to retire honorably from politics and what history would record before and after the December 4 Presidential election. I would fervently hope to be a senior statesman like Nelson Mandela, passing the torch to a younger successor, a former Secretary General of the esteemed United Democratic Party (UDP), with dignity and pride. I would abandon all egocentric, politically self-serving maneuvers, shield the Party from discord, and hand it over in a fairer and safer condition than when it was entrusted to me in 1996.
The public notice called for potential candidates to apply for the position of the United Democratic Party (UDP) Presidential Candidate for the December 4 election, adding to the already heavy load of public information. The general announcement, dated March 27, 2021, and signed by Senior Administrative Secretary Alhagie S. Darbo, stated:
The United Democratic Party (UDP) informs the general public that the Party’s Central Committee is accepting applications for the role of the Party’s Presidential Candidate for the forthcoming Presidential election scheduled for December 4, 2021.
Fatoumatta: I recall a descendant of the biblical King David who oversaw the fragmentation of his father’s kingdom. His name, Rehoboam, is ironic, meaning “he who enlarges the people.” It is not the people who select their political leaders, chairpersons, or MPs; rather, it is the godfathers, godsons, and the party elite with their schemes. What legacy, then, are Honorable Ousainou Darboe and the United Democratic Party (UDP) creating, and how do they wish to be remembered by history? Some individuals possess prophetic dreams that predict the future with remarkable precision, akin to Nostradamus. They are not Nigerian Mallams, Malian or Jahanka marabouts, but visionaries. A friend of mine, who seems to have such foresight, informed me that the UDP plans to once again hold a victorious celebration, appointing Baa Ousainou Darboe as the Secretary-General and the flag-bearer for the UDP in the 2021 Presidential elections.
He asserted confidently that no one would challenge Ousainou Darboe or seek to remove him from power. However, he ominously added that despite spending 22 years fighting to end President Yahya Jammeh’s kleptocratic regime without becoming President himself, he would continue to be supported by party militants and followers in his governance, succeeding his estranged godson President Adama Barrow in the 2021 presidential elections. When a society conditions its mindset to believe that only one individual possesses the brilliance and wisdom to resolve all of its followers’ and electorate’s issues, it has tragically chosen to live at the mercy of that person’s wishes, frailties, imperfections, or outright failures.
For patriots, the atmosphere within the United Democracy Project (UDP) is akin to the eve of Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon. On the morning of January 10, 49 BC, the Roman General faced a stark choice: remain in the comfort of Gaul (now parts of modern-day France and its surroundings) and forfeit all he had strived for, or wage war by crossing the Rubicon into Italy. History records that Caesar chose conflict and succeeded, reshaping imperial Rome into greatness. Today, within the UDP, there is a rhetoric filled with dissatisfaction, abuse, and talk of separation. The fortunes of change have defiled and looted the sanctity of the land. The time has come to dismantle the old, rebuild anew, and compose a fresh anthem. The alternative is to raze the dilapidated structure to protect those within.
Furthermore, in the context of the Gambia Presidential election, political elites are actively engaging in the political process. Yet, a new paradigm of leadership has surfaced recently, one that more accurately reflects outstanding leadership qualities. This perspective suggests that influential leaders should grasp their followers’ values and beliefs instead of exerting absolute authority and legitimate use of coercive power. This approach facilitates a constructive conversation with followers regarding the group’s principles, identity, and appropriate actions.
Fatoumatta: A king who torments his subjects will never taste the community’s affection. He cannot rest, his eyes open against the glaring errors of his ways. Our elders have always chastised the gluttonous elder who believes his throat leads solely to Marina Parade. Our leader has outpaced the selfish elder who hoarded his riches. He claims the street’s suffering is insufficient, piling on more elite greed and cruelty. Who would venerate this desert god who only takes? This deity who leans on the burdened, the suffering, what name does he deserve? Can he truly expect the downtrodden to laud his tyranny with praise?
There is a reason why rulers should not drive their people to the brink of survival. It reveals more than the mediocrity of powerful figures. It contaminates the community’s life source, urging the populace to seek refuge elsewhere. And thus, history unfolds.
