The announcement was made recently at a meeting held at the community of Cha Kunda in Upper Fuladu during the ongoing nationwide tour by the Secretary General and Party Leader for the UDP, Lawyer Ousainu Darboe.
The tour that started on 7 December 2024 is designed to engage and reassure Gambians about the glorious destiny of The Gambia and the firm commitment of the UDP to understand the challenges of the people and to collectively salvage the country from the “hardship and cost of living crisis.”
The tour is described as a ‘defection tour’ as it also witnessed number of supporting groups defecting from the ruling party to the United Democratic Party.
Amongst communities that defected to the UDP include Cha Kunda, Samboido village, Bankuba and Sarreh Pateh in Upper Fuladu. The tour also witnessed presentations of 132 sympathisers who defected from the ruling party to the UDP at a meeting held at Makamasireh village in Wulli East.
Individuals have also defected from Wulli Bantunding, Welingara Yarreh and Wulli Foday Kunda as well as Brikamaba, in Lower Fuladu East.
Welcoming the defectors, party leader, Lawyer Ousainu Darboe commended them for the trust they have for his party and further urged them not only to secure their voters’ card, but to vote massively in the 2026 presidential elections.
He revealed that the tour was a validation of what he had been told before he initially departed. “I have been told that I would see massive changes,” he added, saying that the tour was also described as a “cross-carpeting tour.”
He pointed out that the tour has equally been a platform which also exposed concerns of the Gambian people such as the need for provision of potable water supply, access to medical facilities, good roads, electricity and agricultural projects among other necessities.
“I do not think after many years of independence, that there should be any community in The Gambia that should be really asking for clean water,” he said.
Darboe, however, made it clear that his party does not have a budget to address some of the social problems, but stated that with support from some individuals among the members of his party, they could possibly come up to address some issues raised by the people as the tour ends.
He informed that his campaign team is currently working out strategies for greater voter mobilisation for effective voter registration in preparation of the 2026 presidential elections.
The tour continued to Brikamaba, Niamina Dankunku, Jarra Soma and Tankularr in Kiang West. Today Wednesday 18 December 2024, the tour will continue from Mayork, Bwiam, Sibanor, Somita, Bonto and Pirang in Kombo East.
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