Abhorrent! Adama Barrow’s assumed identity as divider-in-chief

We are all aware of the fact that when it comes to the United Democratic Party (UDP), his main political rivals, Adama Barrow, President of The Gambia spares no punches. At every opportunity he gets, whether it is a political rally or a state sponsored public engagement, the UDP is on the chopping block for him and his minions of yes men.

He has attacked the party from every angle possible except from a policy angle, because as fate would have it, he is not only short on policy, but also absolutely devoid of any policy direction.

In his attempts at ridiculing the party or personalities within the UDP, he often casts the UDP as  unworthy, an object of mockery, something that Gambians should be disdainful towards or simply laugh at as a failure, whether as a political entity or the individuals within it as a collective. Remember he was the same guy who said those who criticize him from abroad (which in Gambian parlance denotes success) are failures because they could not even erect a chicken coop in their family homes much less point to any meaningful achievement at a personal level.

He also claimed that UDP had been a failure until he came along and turned things around within three months. Suffice it to say the man lacks charisma and rode on the wave of discontent within the country towards the tyrant Yaya Jammeh. But most importantly, he had the backing of the UDP, who, in their desperation, after all of their leaders were jailed, turned to him as figure head to rally behind just to navigate those turbulent times. Thanks to the efforts of a coalition of parties and the public sympathy for the fate that befell the UDP victims and the collective exhaustion of Gambians from Jammeh’s tyranny, he was propelled to national leadership.

These two scenarios are given as examples to highlight one crucial point; Barrow views UDP and all its associates as failures and that fact needs to be borne in mind when attempting to understand his latest incendiary remarks.

At a rally recently, he likened the UDP political bureaus to corner shops traditionally run by Mauritanian migrants to The Gambia, most of whom have acquired Gambian citizenship. Those Gambians of Mauritanian origin are locally called Narr, hence the term boutique Narr in reference to shops they operate which is the exact phrase he used. In an apparent attempt at contrasting the political party bureaus of his ruling party to those of the UDP, he said the UDP bureaus look like “boutique Narr” clearly a derogatory term meant to belittle and ridicule. Yet, through his spin doctor designated as Minister of Information, the government wants us to believe that he meant no disrespect to those enterprising folks rather than apologize and retract that statement.

Another context is relevant here. During the election campaign period for the mayoral elections, multiple speakers at rallies hosted by the president and his party, attacked the ethnic identity of Talib Ahmed Bensouda, the subsequent winner and current Mayor of the Kanifing Municipality for a second term, saying he is not Gambian. Although he was born in The Gambia, to a Gambian mother whose lineage retraces back to the traditional chiefs and rulers of the Niumi region of The Gambia, his great grandfather originally migrated from Morocco and settled in The Gambia. Moroccans are also considered Narr in Gambian lingo. Those remarks were never retracted nor condemned by the president. Mayor Bensouda is considered by many as a potential candidate for the presidency under the UDP ticket and Barrow and his minions are attempting to forestall that prospect or take him on as their opponent even before he declares his intent or gets nominated by his party. If that means being disrespectful towards a respectable segment of society. Or attacking a whole ethnic group, so be it. So much for their accusation that UDP is the tribalist party.

In another inciteful statement at the same meeting, he urged his party supporters to “not be fearful” and to “stand up and fight those who break the law, because I am behind you [meaning I support every measure you take]”, as if to say the Gambia Police Force has been rendered irrelevant. Why else would the president of a country call for vigilante justice in a country where there are law enforcement agents who could step in and press charges when laws are violated if not to incite violence against those who oppose him?  

When the widely followed Kerr Fatou medium published the president’s remarks verbatim, the ministry of Information in a cleanup attempt took issue with that and went on to launch an attack on the media house for that publication.

It is yet another manifestation that Adama Barrow is utterly incompetent, lacks the most basic traits of decency and lacks the foresight to see the potential ramifications of his utterances. Instead of helping him address his shortcomings, those around him in cabinet level positions see fault everywhere else but with the president in his utterances and conduct.

The police will not raise any concerns of safety for the public, civil society and human rights groups will play ostrich yet again, or at best issue a vague, half-hearted statement just to satisfy public discontent. Everyone is fearful of losing their privileges, positions, or favors. As soon as those verbally attacked feel the need to retaliate in similar fashion, they will all find their voice to condemn in the strongest terms what they will refer to as unconducive to “peace and stability.”

One would think that so soon after the so-called “National Dialogue”, the president would be more measured in his utterances, but just like the failed summit of the long planned Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), everything about this government is a mere show with no substance, and as we head into the 2026 election cycle, we can expect more desperation and inciteful rhetoric from State House.