By Lamin Njie
Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang has said that President Adama Barrow insisted that she become vice president of The Gambia even when her age did not allow her.
“I have many times gone to consult the president His Excellency Adama Barrow to tell him that because of the pressure and because of my ambition to support him in any other situation, in any position other than vice president… I even suggested some names to His Excellency the President,” the former vice president told The Fatu Network’s Omar Wally in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.
Mrs Jallow Tambajang served as The Gambia vice President between February 2017 and June 2018. Her appointment to the post initially drew public scrutiny after a section of the constitution barred her because of her age. She oversaw the post for almost ten months before she could be legitimately hold the post.
The ex-vice president was then removed from the post in June 2018 said it was never her intention to be in the position in such controversial circumstances.
She said: “He (President Barrow) is there and he is a living witness. This is what people don’t know, people don’t know me. He told me that as far as he’s concerned and the country is concerned, I have worked hard for this country. [That] I deserve to be vice president not because of as a person but because of my background, my experience.
“And this is the statement he made when he was swearing me in. That he did not take me because I helped, I was the chair of the coalition. He said he selected me because; number one, of the trust, number two, of my expertise, and number three, because of my contribution to the coalition. He insisted… [It] was his conviction that I was the right candidate to support him at the time.”
