By Alieu Jallow
In a recent interview on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez, Dr Demba Sabally, the Minister of Agriculture, criticised Essa Mbye Faal, leader of the APP Sobeya party, for his remarks about President Adama Barrow.
Faal accused the government of mismanaging public funds and suggested that officials, including the president, have amassed wealth rapidly since taking office.
During a rally in Farafenni, Faal alleged that government officials are enriching themselves at the expense of ordinary Gambians.
He further criticized the president’s salary structure, contrasting it with the earnings of lower-level public servants.
In a swift response to these allegations, Dr Demba Sabally, the minister of agriculture who doubles as the 1st vice President of the National People’s Party, describes Faal’s words against the president as “immoral”.
“People like Essa Faal going to his congress describing people who had nothing becoming into government and their stomach becoming big overnight, enriching themselves using very condescending languages.
“Look if you have no respect for authority and you are looking for authority, you never shall be there and when you are, people are not going to respect you. So, the language that Essa Faal spoke at his congress is unacceptable.
“The language is not illegal but is immoral, is one thing to speak that is legal but it is another thing to speak an immoral language. What he said was immoral,” he said.
The NPP’s first vice president described the opposition leaders as the “worst” specifically targeting the Gambia Democratic Congress leader (Mama Kandeh) who is against the President’s third term bid, noting that if the opposition is sure of their strength with greater optimism of acquiring popular vote, they should join the race in 2026. He accused the opposition of not being genuine.
“I think the opposition in the Gambia is not genuine because what we expect from the opposition is to inform the citizens clearly, give them correct information. Inform them of what you think is not going well but [also] inform them of what’s going well.
If they choose not to inform them of what is going well, [let them] not misinform them and we don’t expect opposition leaders to disrespect the constitution. For any opposition leader who says no to the third term, you are rebellious, you are going against the constitution,” he said.
Sabally highlighted the government’s efforts in promoting national happiness and development, referencing the positive reception during the recent “Meet the People Tour.”
He emphasized that citizens across the country expressed their support for President Barrow’s socio-economic initiatives, which are anchored on democracy, peace, and respect for human rights.
As the 2026 presidential elections approach, such confrontations are expected to become more frequent, reflecting the deepening divisions within Gambian politics.
