Barrow: “Gambia Yesterday and Today Are Different”

Written by: Mama A. Touray

As Gambians continue to face frequent power cuts, with some areas going without electricity for more than 24 hours, President Adama Barrow has defended his government’s development record, saying The Gambia has changed significantly during his ten years in office.

Speaking to a gathering at State House recently, Barrow pointed to developments in roads, electricity, water, education and healthcare as evidence of the progress made under his administration.

“For the ten years that I have been president of this country, a lot has changed. What has been happening before and now are different. Gambia yesterday and today in the eyes of development are different, in the side of education, roads, water and electricity, hospital,” he said.

He stressed that the difference between the country today and in the past is clear.

“What has been happening today and yesterday are different and everyone knows and we cannot dispute that,” Barrow said.

The President also called for peace, stability and national unity as the country heads towards the December 5th presidential election, warning Gambians against allowing politics to divide them.

“I want to tell Gambians that as we head to the election, let Gambians maintain peace and stability and encourage unity and know that politics should not divide us because politics is for development of a country though many made it a business,” he said.

With less than 100 days to the election, Barrow told voters to carefully consider their choice of president, arguing that while voting takes only one day, the consequences will last for the next five years.

“Because it’s a decision you are making for the next five years as to who leads the country and govern this country, you should look at the candidates very well and decide whom to vote for because election is just one day but governing the country is five years so it’s a very important decision for every Gambian,” he said.

Barrow also joked about the growing number of people seeking the presidency, telling the gathering that a Senegalese musician had sung that democracy had been given so much space in The Gambia that everyone was entering politics.

He said many people may want to become president, but ultimately only one person can occupy the position, with Gambian voters deciding who that will be.

“When a woman is unmarried, every man wants to marry her, bad men, good men and even a man who knows he will never have her will still want to marry her. That is why today everyone is looking for the position. Men disappear when they heard that the knot has been tied and that knot will be tied on the 5th December 2026,” Barrow said.