The All Peoples Party – Sobeyaa (APP-Sobeyaa) expresses profound alarm and condemnation over the disturbing leaked audio recording attributed to the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, in which he was allegedly heard justifying appointments or lack there of to public office on the basis of tribe and perceived political loyalty. Such remarks, coming from the holder of one of the highest offices of our Republic, are reckless, dangerous, and fundamentally incompatible with the spirit of the Gambian Constitution and the moral foundations upon which this nation stands. The office of the Deputy Speaker is not a tribal office. It is a national office. Its occupant is expected to rise above parochial loyalties and act in defence of the unity, dignity, and equal citizenship of all Gambians.
The Gambia is a small country, but it is a deeply diverse nation. That diversity has always been our strength. From Banjul to Basse, from Kartong to Koina, Gambians have lived side by side for generations, intermarried, traded together, worshipped together, and defended one another in moments of national crisis. No responsible leader should seek to poison that fragile cohesion for political convenience. As a people, we made a solemn promise in our National Anthem to “join our diverse people.” Those were not empty words composed for ceremonial occasions. They were a covenant for nationhood. They were a commitment that no Gambian would ever be reduced to tribe before country, or treated as more deserving of state favour because of ethnicity or political affiliation.
The President himself must also reflect seriously on the implications of these revelations. Leadership sets the tone for governance, and the growing number of President Barrow’s senior officials and special advisers using demeaning, tribal, and bigoted remarks in interviews and on media platforms suggests a troubling level of tolerance from the highest office. When public appointments begin to carry the perception of tribal calculation or partisan patronage, national trust begins to erode. History across Africa has repeatedly shown that nations do not collapse overnight; they fracture gradually when leaders abandon merit, fairness, and national cohesion in favour of narrow identity politics.
APP-Sobeyaa, therefore, calls on the Deputy Speaker to publicly clarify these remarks and apologise to the Gambian people for the deeply divisive sentiments contained in the recording. Silence or dismissal will only deepen public anxiety and reinforce perceptions that tribal considerations are creeping into the governance architecture of our Republic.
At the same time, we are equally disturbed by the growing pattern of intolerance and heavy-handed policing witnessed in the recent arrest and detention of members of the Gala movement during activities marking their one-year anniversary. The images and reports surrounding these arrests are troubling and raise serious concerns about the direction of democratic governance and civil liberties under the current administration. The right of citizens to assemble peacefully, associate freely, and express themselves politically is not a favour granted by the state. It is a constitutional right.
The actions of the police in this matter evoke painful memories of a past Gambians collectively vowed never to return to. Our country emerged from decades of repression under the former regime with a national commitment to democratic reform, accountability, and respect for fundamental freedoms. The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission exposed the terrible consequences of state intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and politically motivated crackdowns. Those lessons must not be forgotten so quickly.
It would be a grave betrayal of the TRRC process and the sacrifices of victims if state institutions begin once again to treat dissent, activism, or independent civic mobilisation as a threat to be suppressed rather than a democratic reality to be managed within the law.
APP-Sobeyaa therefore calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained members of the Gala movement. We further urge the Inspector General of Police and the Ministry of Interior to exercise restraint, professionalism, and strict adherence to constitutional principles in dealing with citizens and civil society groups.
Democracy is not tested when government supporters gather freely. Democracy is tested when those critical of the establishment are also allowed to organise, speak, and assemble without fear.
Our nation stands at an important crossroads. The politics of tribal division, selective justice, and shrinking civic space cannot build the democratic Gambia our people struggled for. We must reject all attempts to divide Gambians along ethnic or political lines and instead recommit ourselves to the principles of unity, equal citizenship, tolerance, and constitutional democracy.
The Gambia belongs to all of us equally.
Business Day
Watchdog Uganda
Punch Nigeria