Picture credit: KERR FATOU

 

Fellow Gambians, distinguished guests, coalition partners, political leaders, party supporters, ladies and gentlemen,

I am delighted, and with great humility, to have the honour of delivering this speech on behalf of the Gambia First Coalition – UDP-Led Alliance.

We meet at an important moment in the history of our country, a moment when we must ask ourselves: What kind of Gambia do we want to leave for the next generation?

Do we want a Gambia where poverty continues to define the lives of our people, where families struggle with the cost of living, where young people cannot find opportunities, where corruption weakens our institutions, and where politics divides our communities?

Or do we want a Gambia where every citizen has hope, dignity, opportunity, justice and a voice?

We choose the latter. We choose Gambia First.

Fellow Gambians, before we speak about the future, we must honour those who helped shape our democratic journey.

I wish to pay tribute to all the founding fathers of the United Democratic Party — the UDP.

The history of the UDP is deeply connected with the history of the People’s Progressive Party — PPP, of which the PPP was among the founders. Our political journeys have taken different paths, but our stories share important characteristics. Both are connected to the struggle for democracy, justice, freedom and the dignity of the Gambian people.

The story of the UDP is part of The Gambia’s story, just as the story of the PPP is part of The Gambia’s story.

Today, our different experiences and political traditions can come together in the greater national interest.

That greater interest is The Gambia.

Fellow Gambians, I wish to warmly greet and honour our presidential candidate, H.E. Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, fondly known as:

BA OUSAINOU!

Ba Ousainou, we salute you.

Through the United Democratic Party, you have helped build and inspire many leaders across our country. You stood firm against dictatorship and repression. You stood for democracy, justice and the rule of law. You became a voice for the voiceless.

For your courage, sacrifice and commitment to the Gambian people, we say:

Thank you, Ba Ousainou!

The GFC-UDP-LED ALLIANCE recognizes the historic role you have played in The Gambia’s democratic journey. We recognize the sacrifices you have made and your commitment to the democratic aspirations of our nation.

We believe that The Gambia’s democratic story will not be complete without seeing Ba Ousainou Darboe serve as President of the Republic of The Gambia.

We have seen you fight for democracy. We have seen you defend the Constitution. We have seen you stand for the rule of law.

Now we want the Gambian people to have the opportunity to see you lead the state and put those principles into practice.

Ba Ousainou, this is your moment. And we believe The Gambia is ready.

Fellow Gambians, the Gambia First Coalition – UDP-Led Alliance is not simply about winning an election. It is about changing the direction of our country.

It is about restoring hope, rebuilding trust, creating opportunity, strengthening democracy and putting the Gambian people first.

We know the challenges facing our people. Poverty is real. The cost of living is hurting families. Young people are searching for opportunities. Businesses are struggling. Electricity remains a major national challenge. Corruption undermines development.

That is why poverty alleviation and affordability will be at the top of our agenda.

A government must understand what ordinary people experience every day.

Economic statistics mean little to a mother who cannot afford food for her children. Development means little to a young person who cannot find a job. Growth means little to a family that cannot afford healthcare or education.

We want an economy where hard work provides dignity, workers receive fair wages, farmers can make a decent living, businesses can grow and families can afford basic necessities.

Gambia First means putting Gambian families first.

Fellow Gambians, agriculture must also be at the centre of our national development.

Our farmers deserve timely payment, fertilizer and farming equipment when they need them, as well as reliable markets for their produce.

We must invest in agriculture, improve storage and market access, and ensure farmers can earn a fair income from their hard work.

Support our farmers, strengthen food security and grow our economy.

Fellow Gambians, we must also confront corruption.

When public money is stolen or mismanaged, it is money that could have built schools, equipped hospitals, improved roads, provided electricity or created opportunities for our young people.

We need greater transparency and accountability. Public officials must be accountable for the resources entrusted to them. Government procurement must be transparent. Public institutions must be strengthened.

Where public resources have been unlawfully taken, the state must pursue their recovery through due process.

Fellow Gambians, we are living in the 21st century, and our politics must reflect the democratic standards of our time.

Elections are about development, jobs, the economy, healthcare, education, electricity and the future of our young people. But ultimately, an election is about the people’s voice.

And the Gambian people must use the power of their vote to say clearly:

NO TO A THIRD TERM.

This is not about hatred for any individual. It is about protecting the democratic system that belongs to all of us.

Power must be temporary. Institutions must be permanent. The people must remain sovereign.

When leaders understand that power has limits, institutions become stronger. When peaceful transfer of power becomes normal, democracy becomes stronger.

But when political leaders believe they must remain in power indefinitely, our democracy is placed in danger.

We cannot take this issue lightly.

Our generation has a responsibility to protect the democratic gains for which Gambians have sacrificed.

Your vote is your voice. Your vote is your power.

Let us protect the two-term principle. Let us protect our institutions. Let us protect our democracy.

Let us protect the future of The Gambia.

Fellow Gambians, there is another issue we must confront: the politics of tribal and ethnic division.

It is deeply worrying when political competition is allowed to turn our tribes and communities against one another.

In a small country like The Gambia, this is dangerous and unacceptable.

We cannot allow anyone to suggest that a Gambian should be denied a government position, promotion or opportunity simply because of the tribe or ethnic community to which that person belongs.

That is not the Gambia we want.

A person’s tribe must never determine their worth. A person’s surname must never determine their opportunity. A person’s political affiliation must never determine whether they deserve justice, employment or equal treatment.

We must judge Gambians by their competence, character, integrity and ability to serve — not by their tribe.

There is nothing wrong with being proud of our heritage, but our tribal identity must never become greater than our national identity.

We must replace tribalism with patriotism. We must replace division with unity. We must replace fear with hope.

Fellow Gambians, we must also reject the politics of fear and victimization.

Fear-mongering against a political party or its supporters is not democracy. Victimizing citizens because of their political affiliation is not democracy.

The United Democratic Party is an inclusive political movement, and every Gambian must have the right to participate in national life regardless of political affiliation.

You may support the UDP. You may support the PPP. You may support another political party. Or you may support no political party at all.

Your citizenship must never be conditional on your political choice.

To our young people, I say: Do not allow political propaganda to turn you against your fellow Gambians.

Do not allow anyone to convince you that another Gambian is your enemy because of tribe or political preference.

Your generation has the opportunity to build a different Gambia.

A Gambia where merit replaces discrimination, inclusion replaces exclusion, dialogue replaces fear and patriotism replaces tribal politics.

Fellow Gambians, we must also protect the culture, traditions and traditional institutions that have held our communities together for generations.

The Gambia has always been a hospitable nation. Our Alkaloos, Chiefs and traditional leaders have served as custodians of our values and community traditions, welcoming everyone regardless of political affiliation.

Hospitality must never become a political privilege.

It is worrying when traditional institutions are viewed primarily through a political lens. When cultural leaders become afraid to welcome people because of political differences, our communities become divided and our heritage is weakened.

Politics must never determine who is welcome in a Gambian community.

Governments and political parties will come and go, but our culture and traditions must endure.

Let our Alkaloos remain custodians of their communities, not prisoners of political divisions.

Let our Chiefs protect our traditions, not be forced into political camps.

Let our villages remain places of welcome, not political exclusion.

If political differences are allowed to divide our villages and communities, we risk creating a deeply fragmented nation.

Our politics must bring Gambians together, not divide them.

That is what Gambia First means: protecting our culture, respecting our traditions and putting national unity above political differences.

Fellow Gambians, I want to speak directly to our mothers, sisters and daughters.

Mothers of The Gambia, we see you. We hear you. We understand your struggles.

Every morning, you wake up early to go to the market, gardens and farms. You work hard to feed your families, pay school fees and provide for your children.

Yet many of you struggle to sell your produce, while vegetables and food items are lost because of inadequate storage facilities and unreliable electricity.

We see the struggles of single mothers, carrying the responsibility of raising families with limited support.

We see women struggling to access affordable healthcare, finance, markets and economic opportunities.

These challenges must matter to government.

The Gambia First Coalition wants a country where women can benefit from their hard work — where farmers and market women have access to markets and storage, electricity is reliable, healthcare is accessible, and women have opportunities to build sustainable livelihoods.

This election is about you. The Gambia First Coalition is about you.

Your work matters.

Your family matters.

Your children matter.

Your future matters.

When we say GAMBIA FIRST, we mean putting our mothers, our families, our young people and the Gambian people first.

Fellow Gambians, our land belongs to the Gambian people. Our forests, rivers, coastline and fisheries belong to the Gambian people.

Our natural resources must be preserved and protected for future generations.

They must be managed transparently and responsibly to create jobs, generate revenue and improve the lives of Gambians.

We must not inherit a country from our parents and leave our children with less than we received.

Fellow Gambians, our young people are not simply the leaders of tomorrow.

They are leaders today.

They need education, skills, jobs, access to finance, technology and entrepreneurship opportunities.

They need a government that believes in their capacity to build this country.

We want an environment where a young Gambian can say:

“I can build my future here in The Gambia.”

Our young people should not have to risk their lives in search of opportunities that should exist at home.

The future of The Gambia must be built by Gambians, and our young people must be at the centre of that future.

Fellow Citizens, we cannot talk about economic development without confronting the electricity challenge.

Reliable electricity is not a luxury.

It is essential for businesses, hospitals, schools, agriculture, technology, investment and job creation.

When electricity fails, businesses suffer. When electricity fails, food spoils. When food spoils, women and families lose income.

We therefore need reliable, sustainable and affordable electricity capable of powering our homes, businesses and national economy.

We must power our economy so that our economy can power opportunity.

Fellow Gambians, our greatest strength is not our political parties.

Our greatest strength is our people.

We may come from different regions. We may speak different languages. We may have different political opinions. We may belong to different political parties.

But we share one home:

THE GAMBIA.

We can disagree without becoming enemies.

We can compete without destroying our country.

We can have different political traditions and still work together.

Our differences should not divide us. Our diversity should strengthen us.

This is the spirit of the Gambia First Coalition – UDP-Led Alliance.

Fellow Gambians, this election is not simply about changing one government for another.

It is about deciding what kind of country we want to build.

CONCLUSION

Fellow Gambians,

The choice before us is bigger than any individual or political party. It is about the future of our country and the kind of Gambia we leave for our children.

Let us choose unity over division, hope over fear, merit over tribalism, accountability over corruption, and democracy over authoritarianism.

Let us build a Gambia where farmers prosper, women have opportunities, young people have a future, families can afford a decent life, institutions are respected, and every citizen is treated with dignity.

This is our moment to come together—not as tribes, not as parties, but as Gambians.

Let us stand together and say:

One Gambia. One People. One Nation.

Let us put our country first.

Let us put Gambia First!

May God bless The Gambia and its people. Thank you.