By Alagie Darboe
Sunday 27th December 2015, the UDP youth wing held a mass political rally at Latrikunda Sabiji. The rally was not only timely and successful, but made mark in the political history of The Gambia and our great party.
The rally comes at a time when many are doubting whether participating in election with President Yahya Jammeh would yield fruitful results as they believe that it would be the same old story, a landslide victory for the incumbent. That President Jammeh will explore the usual mechanisms at his disposal to snatch the victory as long as the same electoral laws remain in place, which are very unlikely going to change.
Many also believe that the UDP will be history in the absence of its old ranks, especially Lawyer Ousainou Darboe but the youths had shown that the future of the party is bright.
The rally made an important turning point in the the political evolution of The Republic of The Gambia. The youths are now taking the centre stage of active politics. A launch of renewed spirit of courage, perseverance and high sense of focus in safeguarding the soul and body of the pride of our nationhood, characterised the rally in all forms. It is the same vigour elsewhere that brought down much powerful presidents in our sub-region: Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and of recent Nigeria. Why not The Gambia? Those presidents had everything at their disposal to clinch to power by all means just like Jammeh, but the peoples’ power spearheaded by their youth folks who woefully prevented them through the ballot and was not magical. So it will be in the case of The Gambia in claiming the sovereignty of our beloved country not to allow it to be totally transformed into a would-be Islamic Kingdom of Casagambie with its holy city at Kanilai.
For The Gambia our home land, its destiny lies in the hands of all patriotic citizens which no question or uncertainty should be attached to. The wake up call is made by the UDP youths, thus open to all youths regardless of political affiliation. In the reign of Jammeh the youths are paid terrible price, the mass exodus to Europe and elsewhere causing hundreds of innocent young lives and thousands in refugee status in different parts of Europe. No to the loss of the innocent lives in the sea, means no to back way and no to back way means no to Yaya Jammeh. So my dear youths, lets get registered and go out in full force and vote out the president Jammeh, 2016.
Ends
Surely those of us on the ground know for sure Jammeh lost it for good.
It’s now the simplest job left to be done, that is to vote massively Jammeh out.
If the youths in the Gambia want change, they will succeed In- Sha -Allah. They are the future, and the struggle is theirs. I will encourage anyone I know to vote against APRC. Yaya Jammeh must go!