Gambian President Adama Barrow this week launched his political party in the capital, Banjul.
President Barrow has been involved in a rift with leaders of the coalition party that brought him into power three years ago.
Political observers had predicted that the President is likely to form a new political party following the increased disagreements at the helm of affairs in the coalition party.
Many commentators opined that the cause of the disagreement was the decision of the coalition party leaders not to allow President Barrow contest for a second tenure in office.
The President released a statement to the press yesterday introducing the new party, its official colours and top officials.
You will recall that the coalition party achieved a shock victory over long-serving Yahya Jammeh, currently exiled in Equatorial Guinea as a farmer.
The President has formally registered the new party, the National People’s Party (NPP), with the Independent Electoral Commission, making him the leader and secretary of the party.
The announcement comes as relations between Barrow and his former party, the country’s largest party, the United Democratic Party (UDP), have deteriorated. He fired party leader and veep at the time Ousainou Darboe over differences in 2019.
Two weeks ago, thousands of demonstrators demanded that he step down after three years as he pledged in an informal agreement among coalition members. The constitution grants him a five-year term.
President Adama Barrow was sworn in on January 19 2017, when Yahya Jammeh resigned and went into exile after a regional political-military intervention.
Adama Barrow is a Gambian politician and real estate developer who is the third and current President of the Gambia, in office since 2017.
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Header Image Credit: The Citizen Tanzania