Jollof Nerds

Sometimes it’s good to take a step back and see if the problem truly lies within.

Let’s get to the Political Chess.

Until late December, Barrow was very close to Halifa Sallah and the other opposition leaders, he understood the role they played in getting him elected and was seriously considering Halifa for the Vice Presidency. When Darboe was released from jail after the Coalition’s election victory, he immediately went to work. To him it was all about the 2020 presidential elections and his quest for political dominance, his first successful campaign was to cut-off Barrow from the colleagues who made his presidency possible. Like they call it in the Mandingo language “Jamfa” meaning Betrayal.

But wait! This wasn’t his only nefariousness, ministerial positions that were supposed to be shared with the rest of the coalition was shamelessly rigged biggggly. Darboe decided to give his Chums all the influential and strategist positions. Hamat Bah, Gomez and O.J were given the breadcrumbs.

The VP position is a particular importance to Darboe, knowing that the VP is the most visible position in the government after the president. Darboe wanted to make sure who ever occupies that VP Position does not have future political ambition. Basically, he does not want anyone becoming too powerful to eclipse him or a threat to his presidency in 2020. So Halifa Sallah was a nonstarter, Fatoumata Tambajang fits this profile well, this is why even after it became clear that she is constitutional ineligible for the position she continues to serve the role just without the formal title and Darboe love this setup. This is the perfect scenario for Darboe, so when you heard him the other day arrogantly challenging anyone to show him “where in the constitution it states that the VP position cannot be vacant” you know why, right? I can’t believe anyone will make such silly arguments in the 21st century smh.

This wasn’t Darboe’s only crime against the alliance that brought us together. He attempt to circumvent the Constitution by using that power-hungry Nincompoop Maimuna Fatty to bypass the constitution and file illegal and bogus amendments to the constitution, but luckily the plan was dwarf by the ever-towering Justice Minister Baa Tambadou (May the lord reward you). Who knew one honest person can make such huge difference.

Maimuna Mai Fatty is the perfect stooge for Lawyer Darboe, his profile fits the type of person to execute his dirty jobs; he is greedy, arrogant and half-baked educated who somehow convince himself he’s an intellectual. Lord help us! So the next time you see Maimuna (Mai Fatty) doing anything creepy and unscrupulous, point fingers at his master. He is simply following orders. We see beyond the hood-wink.

Maimuna is a zero political threat to Darboe, he is like a tree with no fruits. No one likes him, even his village will vote against him. He is like that dude in High School who thinks all the Hot-Girls are looking at him but actually they’re laughing at him. He is a cheap-tool that you use when it breaks you throw it away without hesitating. It was cheap after-all.

Halifa, being the most honest and least power-hungry politician our country has ever produced wasn’t going to be fooled with some mediocre Ministerial Position. There was a real attempt to tarnish his image but it failed miserably. Negro, don’t come here trying to tell me who Halifa Sallah is. Am from Serekunda, I know him better than you do. It’s like someone trying to convince you that your mother is WHITE when you’re as black as a Kenya. Nigger get out of my face smh.

Darboe is no Halifa and never will. They are two distinct creatures; one is principled and honest, the other will stop at nothing for power. I have never met a politician who commit so much blunders. In-fact Darboe’s whole political life rest on errors, miscalculations and selfishness and I’ll prove it.

For over 10 years we haven’t had one single UDP candidate in the Parliament and you won’t even believe what the reason was. UDP claimed the elections are rigged as such they won’t field candidates for the Parliamentary Elections. This was repeated two election cycles, hence, giving Jammeh a complete monopoly of the National-Assembly. But here is the irony, it appears Darboe only remembers the election is rigged when HE IS NOT RUNNING FOR ELECTION. He never boycott the presidential elections but was always eager to do the opposite for elections he won’t participate in. So basically it’s okay for him to run for office but no one else in UDP can do the same. Isn’t that the textbook definition of SELFISHNESS??? Prove me otherwise.

But wait, am not done yet. What is UDP’s platform, what do they stand for? Twenty years counting, you hardly hear UDP talk about Jobs, Unemployment, Manufacturing, Infrastructure, National Development or even something as simple as UNITY. See in any social movement there are two schools of thought based on my observation:

One that tells you “my opponent is bad, horrible and not good for you so come join me” or
One that tells/gives you a reason to join them. They persuade you through ideas and legitimate agendas.

UDP falls in the former, they do not give you concrete arguments as to why you should join/support them, their platform has always been about their opponents; APRC is evil, Jammeh is evil, PDOIS is evil, Halifa is Hitler, GDC is evil, Mamma Kandeh is unacceptable because he is too handsome and rich, PPP is old, OJ is evil, Mamma Kandeh is not part of the coalition. Communism, Socialism, Tribalism etc. etc. Negativity all day, 24/7. WHAT IS YOUR AGENDA???????????? Quit telling me how bad everyone is, I don’t wanna hear it, tell me how you're going to make my people's life betters. “The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Do you understand?” – Jack Sparrow

It’s been just two months but it already feels like a century, we have enough of this Darboe remote controlled, amateur government. Goddamn, I don’t know about you, this isn’t what I fought for. Why isn’t this government talking about Term-limits, Judicial Independence and Police Reform and Unemployment?

What is power if you’re not going to use it to benefit the lives of your citizens? Going around and insulting anyone who disagree with you is NOT governance, get a clue. This a not your grandfather’s Gambia, this is a different Gambia, this is the Gambia where citizens are engage and will never allow anyone to take us for a ride ever again neither will anyone sell us some cheat shit.

Friends, when you get into that voting booth, think hard, think about the kind of country you want to live in. Is it the country where leaders like Mamma Kandeh and Halifa Sallah tell you how they plan to make your life better and continue to development the next generation of leaders or is the country where a leader like Darboe auction our brothers in Europe for money in their pockets, a party who produce folks like my friend Foday Jawla, whose only skills is insulting and yelling all day. I urge you to REJECT all UDP candidates until the party reforms itself and start working for the interest of the Gambian people. Wasalam!!