Adama Barrow - The Ordained One

Being a country of believers, be it Islam or Christianity, it is understandable that we attribute all things to God’s predestination.
Even in this election season, almost every person who has anything to say for the regime will say something along the lines of “God ordained him (current president), and when his time comes He (God) will remove him.” Even the president made such claims each time the occasion grants an opportunity; that “no election, military, or foreign power can remove me from office. I will leave when Allah says so.”

But how does Allah say so? How does God ordain a leader? These are questions no one seems interested in asking especially those who are fond of peddling the narrative. It states in the Bible;

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans 13:1)

In the Qur’an it states;

“Say! O Allah, Sovereign Lord of all dominion, You grant dominion to whom You will and You take away dominion from whom You will….” (Qur’an 3:26).

These and similar verses in both scriptures is used to back such claims. But what critical questions need asking regarding these divine statements? Who is considered an authority worth subjugating oneself to? What are their qualities? How do they exercise their authority? All these and more need answering. But most importantly, how does God establish such authorities?

He certainly does not come down and call a meeting of all the people of the land to a coronation ceremony, neither does He delegate it to His angels or anyone for that matter. Then how does He do it?

People make kings, leaders, and authority. Sovereignty resides in them. As a people of faith, we believe everything happens by design. If God therefore wills to reside authority in an individual, He fill the people’s hearts with love and admiration for that person. On the other hand, when He wishes to take it away from a person, He exposes that persons flaws and shortcomings gradually turning people away from that person, with them goes the authority and sovereignty with which the leader had mandate.

When Yaya Jammeh first came to power by subverting the will of the people through the barrel of the gun, at first some were naturally skeptical, but by the end of the second year he was overwhelmingly embraced. The mantra was; give him a chance, he’s young and brave, thirty years was long enough we need new ideas. And so began his reign.

Along the line promises were made, only to be broken; hopes raised and dashed. The anthem of transparency, accountability and probity became illegal. Dissent was not to be and so the years rolled by with no improvements in the people’s condition. Every election cycle promises alongside threats are made but still we wait. Some people started waking up to reality and turned their back on him, the love and admiration they had for him was no more, and so his dominion dwindled.

A new face emerged on the political scene and moved an entire nation. From the political elites to the ordinary farmer out in the far flung country side, everyone endorsed and embraced him. No one saw him coming which says a lot too.

When Yaya came in 1994 with promises of purging the public service of corruption and instituting a functional people led government, he sought a four year mandate to do the job, the people rejected the offer and settled for two years. Within that time, he laid out his plans to self-perpetuate. He claimed that the elders called on him and begged that he don civilian clothes and contest the elections for the whole country was impressed by his achievements. But if the tempo in the country is such that you are guaranteed victory at the elections, why ban all who ever held ministerial, vice presidential or presidential positions in the ousted regime? They were seasoned politicians, they were well known and popular and them running against you meant the end of your reign. The people by now realized that you were no soldier with a difference just another wannabe tyrant. Essentially you killed the competition and look set to rule another five years, then emerged Lawyer Ousainou Darboe to fight for a restoration of democracy. A man widely acclaimed to have won the 1996 elections, but again force and rigging denied the Gambian people their will. Ever since, he had been your target to neutralize with no success. Once again, with further waning popularity the laws were doctored to ban him from contesting by instituting age limits while eliminating term limits.

But a party as big as the UDP does not look personality centered, so all likely successors need to be purged out of the party; Shyngle Nyassi, Femi Peters (effective political strategist), Ousman Rambo Jatta, and Amadou Sanneh became targets to instill fear and weaken the party to no avail. The UDP just won’t die, so you chose to show how far you’d go to stop them by claiming the life of Solo Sandeng and then jailing Lawyer Ousainou Darboe and his entire executive. As you set your eyes on the UDP, you drove a wedge between you and the Gambian people by exposing your oppressive nature in broad daylight to which they are not accustomed. That is why when Adama Barrow emerged, a man you never saw coming, the people saw an opportunity to return the favor to Lawyer Ousainou for his years of sacrifice and to declare Solo Sandeng a martyr for The Gambian cause. And so a revolution was born.

Kolomo meng beh nyaa sorla, nyaa buka wo jeh (the eye never sees the twig that will poke it), that is a Mandinka proverb. If Yaya Jammeh and his minions had any indication of who Adama Barrow will turn out to be, he’d have been part of the sinister plot aimed at purging the UDP of any potential leaders. Even at this hour, plans to derail the people’s verdict are afoot, the tyrant is relentless in his quest to remain in power, but Adama shall be remembered as the one that got away.

“Although they plan, Allah also plans, and Allah is the best of planners.” (Qur’an 3:80). Adama Barrow has been God’s plan, the ordained one.

A vote for Adama is a vote for O.J Jallow, it's a vote for Halifa Sallah, for Sidia Jatta, for Hamat Bah, for Henry Gomez, for Mai Fatty, for Dr. Bojang, for Dr. Isatou Touray, for Lawyer Darboe, and all of Gambia's capable sons and daughters, it is a vote for The Gambia. Please go out and vote and translate the crowd into winning votes. Although God’s will is there, action is needed on our part to fulfil that will.

Battle For The Soul Of The Gambia

In the past weeks calls have been made that have only been intensified in the past days. These calls are calls for people to get out and exercise their civic duty. Anyone not in denial will acknowledge the changing tides in the Gambian political landscape.

The ball is in your court as APRC supporters to deliver the change Gambians yearn for. Campaigners and ordinary citizens alike have appealed to you in their various statements to help institute a peaceful transition of power to a new democratic dispensation.

They have appealed to your sense of logic, that is to say the same promises made to you every election cycle are the same promises being made now, 22 years of undelivered promises do not need another five year extension for delivery. That is because they were and still are insincere promises.

Your fellow citizens have appealed to your sense of spirituality and piety, that what you support is unjust and have no standing in the realm of justice. The God that you cite as having decreed the anointing of your Excellency does not condone his oppressive hand.

Your compatriots have appealed to your CONSCIENCE. They asked that you reflect on the wrongs that have been committed, the seeds of discord that have been sowed to be reaped in the future; the future of your children and my children. What future do you want for your children, what kind of country are you going to have them inherit when you are no more? Is your conscience clear that they will have a better life than you do today when they are ready to raise children of their own?

Your countrymen have appealed to your HUMANITY and your ability to empathize to stand in the shoes of grieving families and look at things from their vantage point. Children who lost their fathers in the dark of night, women who did not know if to actually go into the traditional mourning period for their husbands because the authorities are issuing conflicting reports as to the fate or whereabouts of their loved ones. Fathers who braved the hot Gambian sun being kicked from one police station to the next in every corner of the country, teary eyed and heavy hearted looking for a missing son that the authorities deny holding. Sons who are enraged by their helplessness that they could do nothing about the torture and rape of their mothers openly admitted in court.

We understand that many things draw people to a person; that we all look for what appeals to us and use that to shape our decisions about life’s choices and who we ally with. We understand if you love Yaya as much as you do, but the greatest love anyone has is that of his children and parents, but even they are set right when they misstep. Everything Yaya has done and said thus far has never earned any condemnation from his supporters; his actions always have some explanation aimed at excusing his missteps.

One thing is undeniable; these are your fellow countrymen and women who are grieving for no just cause. They felt the blunt force of tyranny and are crying out for help. They do not seek blood; they do not seek lives in retaliation. They just want the nightmare to end; the nightmare of tyranny that has them scared. Listen to their cries, invoke the sense of community that our culture, values, and faith taught us. Stand by your neighbor and help wipe their tears. Help us turn a new chapter so that those still unsure of the fate of their loved ones can have closure. We are not raised to be selfish people, we are raised to hold each other up; that is the African spirit of Ubuntu (I am because we are), it is in all of us, do not suppress it for any reason. You may be more familiar with the spirit of Ubuntu in its Mandinka version; nee botta e taanyo mang bo, al beh leh mang bo! (You are not in the clear if your companion is not). In essence it is a quality that summons our greatest human virtues; COMPASSION and HUMANITY

Have no fear either, unlike Yaya Jammeh did in 1996, APRC as a party will not be banned from a new democratic process. The party can find a new leader and join the intellectual battle to make The Gambia better. How much more is Yaya Jammeh worth to you than The Gambia?

Give change a chance please, for the sake of our collective future vote for Adama Barrow, your ballot is secret and your vote is not for Adama, it is for the soul of The Gambia that we all love!

We hope you reconsider.

Let Your Voice Be Heard - VOTE!

As the campaign officially kicks off today, it is imperative that we remind each other of what is at stake for The Gambia and her peoples. This is especially so for those inclined to maintaining the status quo.

The past five years have added to the list of victims of tyranny; families who never saw the victimization coming, worse some even denied it altogether calling people names for simply daring to speak out against oppression. Falling victim to such oppression themselves gave them a new perspective.

It used to be that the government and its various agencies would deny a certain wrong by feigning ignorance, or pacify discontent with promises to look into a situation of concern to the citizens but not follow through, or simply make up a story in an attempt to ease people’s concerns. Now we see open admission to wrong doing and criminal acts with no consequence because the state has amassed so much power it no longer holds the citizenry in any regard. It is a classic case of I did it, so what? This is a dangerous trend that should make any right thinking person stop and reflect on what such a trend could lead to. It should especially make one reflect on what future will be bequeathed to the next generation, a generation whose lives are being shaped today.

Logic and reason is needed in every human endeavor. What has been promised from July 22^nd 1994 to now, what has been delivered on and what has not? This is an assessment that is devoid of any biases and can be done by all. Instead of accusing people of tribalism, or being unpatriotic, use as a yardstick the utterances made by the state against the actions it took. You can come to your own conclusion as to the reason why there are discrepancies, but discrepancies you will find; a lot.

When the current president came to power, he emphatically stated that thirty years is too long for anyone to be in power; that was a principled statement. You could argue that he changed his position based on people’s request, but no matter the reason, compromising on a principled stance is an indication of insincerity. With a new mandate, he will be at the helm for twenty seven years by the time it legally expires, tethering on the thirty year threshold he so passionately spoke out against.

If your reason for voting to maintain the status quo is because a lot of 'developments' have been registered compared to the past administration; then there are two critical questions you need to ask yourself. What does ‘development’ mean to you and what is your measure of ‘development’. Secondly, as the president constantly likes to remind us of what a failure the previous administration was, is it logical that you compare this regime to that administration? You are effectively comparing to failure, which needless to say leaves much room for improvement. We have been enlightened enough times as to what was wrong and what needs to be done. Now the measure of success is assessing what has been attained as to what was said need to be attained.

We will be bombarded with new promises of paradise on earth, of milk and honey. There will be some tough talking and display of piety bordering on sainthood, all for a new mandate, but what’s new? Are you going to fall for it yet again? If you trick a child to come to you by pretending to hold something in your clenched fist, you’ll only succeed in doing so twice at the most after which the child will make out the trick. Fool me once…

Take your pick, electricity, transportation, sanitation, healthcare, agriculture (the promise of food self-sufficiency), education, employment for the youth, commerce, and we all know what the streets of the capital city look like when it rains talk less of the rest of the country. What has been delivered in these areas after two decades of promises? What has changed in our condition or his personality that convinces you that the next five years would be any different? We cannot keep hoping and praying that things will change when we know for a fact that there is hardly any indication of that.

It is time to turn over a new leaf; change is the only constant in life some wise guy once said. It is time to give a new dispensation the chance to restore dignity and chart a new path for us. This one has not led us anywhere. We live in fear and uncertainty in our own homes.

All this talk about peace and its maintenance is a tactic to instill fear in you to maintain the status quo or worse, be apathetic and ensure the same result. Peace is only ensured by the collective adherence to the laws of the society you live in; ask yourself whether those being accused of stoking the flames of instability have done anything to break any laws? Sincerity is the hallmark of a true believer and we as a people like to pride ourselves in our faith even though we know very little about its requirements. Whether one is of faith or not, sincerity is a most noble human trait.

Now that that is settled, go out and vote for change. If you are undecided as to who to vote for, look at the composition of the two camps and decide for yourself. Do you choose a novice who just landed on the political landscape and is running a smear campaign against the other opposition coalition instead of laying out his plans for the future, or do you vote for a coalition of the seasoned politicians that have ploughed the field for decades, refused to be silent in the face of tyranny and even lost their freedoms in the process?

The coalition has the right minds to deliver us to safer shores; their unity alone is reason enough to earn your vote. They campaign on substance and lay bare the misdeeds of the regime for you to be informed. Whatever their ideological differences may have been, they have put those aside and coalesced to salvage our sinking ship; all they need is your support in whatever capacity you can, but most importantly your vote. Give them the mandate and you will have a say in the direction your country takes for the sake of your children and posterity. 

Do Not Subvert The Will of The People

My fellow Gambians,

It is no longer feasible to stay on the sidelines and remain indifferent to the state of affairs in The Gambia. Every human condition reaches its tipping point at some stage, the time to stem the tide against tyranny and one man rule in The Gambia is now. It behooves us all to add our voice to the call to end dictatorship in our country. A mere phone call to your relatives and loved ones back home, asking them to not be intimidated but rather go out and exercise their democratic right of voting is enough. Even better, ask them to vote for the coalition of opposition parties for it is time to change, two decades is long enough for anyone to rule. Complacency is no longer an option if you truly care for The Gambia.

Mr. President,

The time for tough talking is over. The men and women in the crowds we all saw accompanying your opponents and rendering their support to those who seek to usher in a new state of affairs are Gambians, just like you.

Surely there must be something displeasing to them about how you’ve managed our affairs. Listen to them, hear their cries, empathize with them, then you may be able you address their concerns. But I believe it is rather late for that. The Gambian people gave you 22 (twenty two) years to deliver on any promises you made, that is long enough, needless to say a lot of those promises have not been fulfilled.

Whenever the Gambian people come together to exercise their democratic and constitutional rights, you take to the airwaves with threats and name calling all aimed at intimidating them into submission. Branding your opponents and those who disagree with you as unpatriotic, or agents seeking to destabilize the country won’t cut it anymore. They have the right to want things differently, your way isn’t always right and sticking to it, regardless of what those at the receiving end say, and in the face of such an overwhelming objection to it is simply arrogant. Arrogance is a trait most detested my your “Almighty Allah” whom you are so fond of. He (subhanahu wa ta'ala) detests arrogance so much so that He swore that anyone with an atom’s weight of arrogance in his heart shall not enter His paradise.

You and your surrogates like to cite nonexistent “threats to national security” and making statements like “the peace and stability of The Gambia will not be compromised” at every opportunity, so much so that one would think there is indeed some genuine threat to our peace. Do these people look like people out for violence or to incite? Has any of their leaders ever made any statement deemed threatening to peace? The only threat they pose is to your rule. Their collective resolve is to inform the Gambian electorate of your failures so that through the democratic process the informed Gambian people will take back the power they entrust you with, it is theirs to start with. A person wanting their power back is no threat to peace; it is democracy, like you always say, and rightly so; power belongs to the people.

The peace and stability of the country lies solely in your hands. What you say, what you do, what you condone from your surrogates, what you order your security forces to do all have a potential to destabilize the country. Violence is always a reactionary response, always! Let peace reign, pay the price for peace; RESPECT THE CONSTITUTION AND THE PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO CHOICE! It is that simple.

What the people seek is CHANGE, it is CONSTITUTIONAL, it is, POPULAR, it is the COALITION, it is ADAMA BARROW and a NEW GAMBIA! Do not stand in their way with threats.

The Gambia has always been a unified country despite our differences. You sold yourself short when you used the privileges of your office and a public platform to create divisions by singling out and insulting the Mandinkas. When you declared The Gambia an “Islamic Republic” devoid of constitutional mandate thereby making our Christian and non-Muslim compatriots feel marginalized and fearful. We cannot afford another 5 year term of anti-Mandinka rhetoric and threats of burying people so many feet deep, nor are we prepared for the witch hunt that will follow your new mandate because people decided to speak their mind in this political season. We want a unified country, one were the president; a servant of the people does not make unanimous decisions for his personal satisfaction.

Your people are in despair, oh great 'pan-Africanist' as you claim to be. Listen to them and safe the motherland. But we understand you won’t. If 22 years has taught us anything, it is that you feel you are always right and justified in your actions, no one else's views or opinions count. So here comes people power, a tornado aimed straight for you and waiting to sweep you and the entire system out of The Gambia come the December polls!