By: Mama A. Touray
Special Presidential Adviser Momodou Sabally has said that the United Democratic Party (UDP) lacks the moral authority to criticize President Adama Barrow over the issue of former President Yahya Jammeh’s assets. Speaking in a recent interview on West Coast Radio, Sabally was responding to remarks made by the UDP in Farafenni, where the party accused the current government of leading the country toward dictatorship.
“UDP does not have the moral authority to criticize President Adama Barrow and the National People’s Party on the issue of Jammeh’s assets,” Sabally stated. “When the commission was formed, UDP was part and parcel of the coalition government. In fact, they were the major stakeholder and were calling the shots in this government.”
He further argued that the composition of the Janneh Commission reflects the influence of the UDP, citing individuals he claims were closely aligned with the party. “Even a casual look at the composition of the Janneh Commission reveals that key players were associated with UDP. Ba Tambadou, whom I have criticized and continue to criticize, is still celebrated by the UDP to this day—he is one of them.”
Fondly called “Sabs,” Sabally emphasized that the UDP should apologize to Gambians rather than cast blame. “They were part of the group that acted out of emotion, driven by an apparent desire for revenge. That’s what led to all these missteps, and now we are left with a mess that we must work together to correct,” he said. He urged the UDP to stop “finger-pointing and name-calling” and instead focus on constructive dialogue and national progress.
Reflecting on his own experience within the UDP, Sabally admitted that he once believed the negative perceptions of Barrow. “When I was in the UDP, many of Barrow’s opponents said all sorts of things to convince me he was not competent and didn’t have the country’s best interests at heart. From afar, I believed it,” he confessed. “But now that I’m working with him, I’ve realized that’s not true. I regret the unfair statements I made, and I thank him for his patience, tolerance, and accommodation.” He added, “Let the UDP clean up their internal mess rather than pointing fingers at others.”
On the recent protest organized by Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), Sabally reiterated his position that the list of seized assets should be made public. However, he criticized the approach taken by the protesters. “Do I agree with the protesters going out? I think it’s wrong to protest in this country without a permit, and I stand by that. My position is that it’s illegal. If your permit was denied, reapply and negotiate—we’ve done that before, even when I was in the UDP,” he said.
Sabally also dismissed claims that the government routinely denies permits for protests against corruption. “That’s a lie,” he said. “I was part of the UDP when we requested a permit to protest against corruption, and it was granted.”
