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Written by: Alieu Jallow
Special Presidential Adviser Momodou Sabally has downplayed the significance of the massive crowd that attended the United Movement for Change (UMC) congress and political rally on Saturday, describing the gathering as “a huge platform to dazzle and entertain a gullible few.”
The event, held at the Buffer Zone, attracted thousands of supporters and onlookers, with UMC leader and Kanifing Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda drawing widespread attention over the scale of the turnout. The congress has since triggered heated political debate across the country, with supporters describing it as a sign of growing momentum ahead of the 2026 presidential election, while critics argue that crowd size alone does not guarantee electoral success.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network, Sabally acknowledged the scale and organisation of the event but insisted it carried more spectacle than political substance.
“Well first we must commend Talib for putting up a great event and treating the whole show as if his very life depended on it. It was quite an entertainment spectacle,” Sabally said.
“So it is what it is: a huge platform to dazzle and entertain a gullible few.”
Sabally compared the rally to former presidential aspirant Essa Faal’s Buffer Zone gathering ahead of the 2021 presidential election, arguing that despite attracting huge crowds and generating strong social media buzz at the time, Faal failed to convert that enthusiasm into significant votes at the polls.
“It is not the first time such an event is held at the Buffer Zone. Essa Faal did it in the run up to the 2021 election and his amazement and reaction to the crowd is similar to that of Talib,” he said.
“But where Essa could not gather even 20 thousand votes in that year’s election, what could Talib gain?”
The presidential adviser further argued that established political parties remain the dominant electoral forces in The Gambia, dismissing independent political movements as platforms driven largely by “curious spectators.”
“It is established political parties that have voters in this country, and other independent outfits and so-called movements are just carrying curious spectators at their entertainment events,” Sabally stated.
“Lots of glitz and glamour and not much substance.”
Sabally also claimed that the opposition remains fragmented and politically weakened, insisting that President Adama Barrow and the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) remain firmly positioned ahead of the next presidential election.
“The opposition is weaker and more fractured today than it has ever been in New Gambia,” he said.
“We are comfortable giving them the democratic space to operate while we build roads, schools, hospitals and other vital infrastructure. These developments have catapulted President Barrow’s popularity into the stratosphere.”
He further warned against political violence and urged all political actors to operate within the confines of the law and regulations set by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
“My message is for peaceful conduct of our election activities and for all and sundry to operate within the limits of the law,” Sabally added.
“We know that some opposition elements are already desperate, knowing that President Barrow is set to be the undisputed winner of the election this year, and therefore some of them would want to instigate violence and instability. That is not a path that can be tolerated in this country.”
“Let us do our politics in peace and preserve our stability as a country.”
