UDP should stand down!

The leadership of UDP need to ask their members to stand down and allow NPP to peacefully celebrate their victory.

UDP should go to the courtroom and not on the street. The election results cannot be overturned on the street. Hence UDP will bear responsibility if violence erupts in this country!

Lawyer Darboe should understand that he bears command responsibility for the actions of his supporters in this circumstance, just as every other supporter also bears individual responsibility if they violate the law.

The leadership of UDP has legal capacity to know better. Therefore Lawyer Darboe should put it to his supporters to stand down ASAP. They have no reason whatsoever to be on the street. They must follow due process.

President Adama Barrow and the NPP are the winners of the December 4 elections until the next elections in 2026 or if the Supreme Court annuls the results. Until then there’s no justification for their current actions and no one has any power to overturn the verdict of the people.

UDP leadership should be honest to their membership especially the uninformed youths and not give them any false impressions or expectations.

NPP should be let to celebrate as they wish peacefully and without violence. All other parties should give them space. This would have been the case if it were Ousainou Darboe or Halifa Sallah or Essa Faal or any other candidate who was declared by the IEC Chairman as the duly elected president.

For the moment the duly elected president is Adama Barrow of NPP. Therefore let’s give NPP the chance and space to celebrate their victory. Period.

The men and women of conscience in UDP who are honest and brave should impress on their leadership and membership to stand down! The actions of their members are undemocratic, uncivil and unnecessarily irresponsible.

All other political leaders, religious and traditional as well as business and CSO leaders and all men and women of conscience should speak up by telling truth to Ousainou Darboe and UDP to stand down. Go to court and not on the street!

For The Gambia Our Homeland