By: Nicholas Bass
Leader of the newly-formed National Unity Party (NUP), Dr. Lamin J. Darbo, has argued that Gambia is standing on quicksand, while calling for institutional and governance reforms ahead of the 2026 presidential election.
Dr. Darbo made the above remarks at a press conference launching the party’s opening activities for the election season, which was held at Sarge Hotel, Senegambia.
Addressing party officials, supporters, and members of the press, he described the event as both a celebration of the NUP’s growth and a moment for national reflection on governance and the rule of law.
Accepting his nomination as the party’s flag-bearer for 2026, Dr. Darbo says his candidacy is driven by the need to promote the rule of law as the basis of a “just, secured and prosperous society.” He buttressed the point that no society could function without clear and consistently applied legal norms. “The stability of any nation rests on laws that regulate human interaction and safeguard order,” he emphasized.
Darbo goes on to observe that while the rule of law is often invoked by leaders, it is equally prone to manipulation. He emphasized its practical relevance to personal freedoms and human dignity, reiterating that no individual should be punished except under established law and that no person is above the law or beyond the reach of the courts.
The NUP leader noted that these principles required an effective separation of powers. Concentrating law-making, interpretation, and enforcement in a single authority, he warns, leads to “abuse and arbitrariness.” Nations that succeed, he says, are those that build institutions capable of preventing such excesses.
Looking ahead to the 2026 election, Darbo urged Gambians to choose a leader “who can build,” insisting that the presidency must not be treated as a source of privilege. He called for governance grounded in transparency and accountability and warned against the influence of corrupt investors seeking to take advantage of weak institutions. Public office, he stressed, “is a service to the people, not a path to enrichment.”
Dr. Darbo concludes by saying that no sustainable development is possible without the rule of law, warning that nations that ignore it “build their futures on quicksand.” He invited Gambians who shared the NUP’s vision to support the party’s efforts to strengthen institutions and promote stability and national progress.
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By: Nicholas Bass Leader of the newly-formed National Unity Party (NUP), Dr. Lamin J. Darbo, has argued that Gambia…
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