By Lamin Njie
UDP’s deputy leader Aji Yam Secka has spoken for the first time about what led to her estrangement with President Adama Barrow.
President Barrow and top officials of UDP have had a topsy-turvy relationship since last year. The estrangement has led to a number of events including the sensational sacking of all UDP members in cabinet in March this year.
UDP’s No. 2 has now revealed that her personal friendship with President Barrow had broken down after comments she made at a UDP rally in Banjullinding.
Aji Yam Secka in an exclusive interview with Paradise TV said: “I stood by him for the three years and he told us he will leave after three years and go back to his business. For me, he’s angry with me. I didn’t know what he wanted. I went to a UDP rally in Banjullinding and said we should reciprocate Ousainou Darboe. That we should allow Ousainou Darboe to be president even for five years because he sacrificed a lot and that if we want proper reform, for rule of law to be instituted, we should allow Darboe be president.
“They had recorded me. The likes of Alkali Conteh and Lamin Cham recorded it, and after that if I want to see President Barrow, I can’t. He was in Fajara at this time. I had been seeing him without an appointment. I didn’t know what happened.
“One day, the [UDP] executive invited Alkali Conteh to a meeting. At the meeting, Alkali said UDP was not marketing Adama Barrow’s agenda, that we don’t like Adama Barrow. And then he said what pained him was that there was someone who was advocating for someone else’s leadership when Adama Barrow has not started yet. He was referring to me because I was the one who said we should reciprocate Ousainou Darboe. I told him he was a bad person.
“When Adama Barrow moved to Banjul, for three months I could not see him. They blocked me. I called Lamin Cham and asked him what was the problem. He spoke with Adama Barrow and then I went there. When I went there, Adama Barrow told me I did something wrong. He said I had said that we should return Ousainou Darboe’s favour. He asked why I said that, that everyone is angry at me. He said a casette was brought to him.”
