GAMBIA: PRESIDENT BARROW IS INCREASINGLY BECOMING A LIABILITY.

President Barrow’s chances of being the future president after his term are decreasing by the day, his popularity ratings are at its lowest. The Gambian population weary of receding back to dictatorship is highly agitated after the Faraba incident. The swift and angry reactions from all walks of life, from journalists, National Assembly members, rights groups, youth etc. affirms the fact that the Gambia has changed forever and the people are not willing to allow the creation of another dictatorship.

In fact, any semblance of such would generate a seismic reaction as was the case yesterday, after the Faraba incident. Gambians are no longer docile because they are increasingly aware of their civic rights and duties, but the mismatch is the security apparatus, until now they are of the belief that they have powers and authority to transgress people by slapping and kicking them without any consequences and all these happening whiles the president and Vice President are preaching to the world about the new found democracy and the rule of law.

For obvious reasons, the people are becoming disenchanted with the president. The president has always been perceived as humble, calm and composed, with little to say, such perception worked to his advantage in the beginning, but it’s these same traits that are making him now a liability. There is a general perception that he is too quiet and does not speak to the nation. Some refer to him as the sleeping president who is clueless and not aware of what is happening around him and the country.

Such perceptions are doing great harm to his image, people no longer have faith and trust in him, they have very low expectations. As such many have written him off as a man with no chances of winning the presidency should he choose to contest.
He needs a good PR to revert this perception which is already settled in the psyche of the people, thus diminishing his chances in any future presidential contest.

By: Malick Kah