Written by Pa Nderry M’Bai
Gambian political commentator and analyst Musa Basaddi Jawara says Ousainou Darboe’s move to accept Jammeh’s former Justice Minister Lamin Babanding Jobarteh’s endorsement of his Presidential bid is a “colossal mistake” on the part of Darboe, and he warns that it is likely going to have a devastating blow on Darboe’s quest for the Presidency. Mr. Jawara made the statement in a message he forwarded to Freedom Newspaper. Mr. Jobarteh has been adversely mentioned in Gambia’s truth commission. He has been accused of torture and taking part in the execution of Gambia’s nine death row inmates.
“If the UDP Fuladou Saruja meeting revelations are true, for all intent and purposes, the TRRC report is dead upon arrival at State House. For Presidential aspirant, Ousainou Darboe to make yet another colossal mistake, few weeks to all important elections that will determine the future of this country for generations yet unborn, is incomprehensible,” Mr. Jawara lamented.
The UDP leader Ousainou Darboe told his supporters that Jobarteh’s decision to join his party was a welcomed move.
“Lamin Babanding Jobarteh welcome back to the UDP. Jobarteh is my relative. He could have joined other parties, but he has decided to join the party that has been led by his own relative. I also want to thank Babanding for kind reception that he accorded to the UDP during the Saruja meeting,” Darboe remarked, while making the impression that it was Jobarteh who footed the bill for that rally’s expenses.
“To accept the endorsement of a Justice Minister and accord him the privilege of a platform to speak, a man who by all account delivered the legal justification for Mile-2 prisoners’ massacre by a ruthless dictator in 2012, is unfathomable and despicable,” Mr. Jawara further lamented.
Musa Bassadi Jawara has also argued that the UDP now lacks the moral authority to accuse President Barrow of politically fraternizing with Jammeh’s APRC Party—given the fact that the UDP has welcomed a former Jammeh’s minister, who has adversely mentioned on torture related accusations at the TRRC.
“The UDP party denounced very forcefully, the alliance forged by NPP and APRC for the forthcoming Presidential elections and only to turnaround to commit a blunder of Himalayan proportions. The Saruja rally fiasco exposed hypocrisy and demagoguery of the UDP as a party. Lawyer Darboe is tired, his future as an effective and resourceful politician is behind him, and UDP must change course now, or risks defeat in December polls. UDP has lost the moral argument in this campaign, and it is all but over for them, if they continue business as usual from this point on,” Jawara concluded.
The post BREAKING NEWS: DARBOE’S PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRATION RUINED; AS MUSA BASSADI JAWARA DESCRIBES DARBOE’S MOVE TO ACCEPT LAMIN JOBARTEH’S MEMBERSHIP WITH THE UDP A COLOSSAL MISTAKE! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.