Speaking on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez, Faal said he could look at everybody in their eyes and say there was no secret plan between him and Darboe.
“On a personal note, me, Essa Mbye Faal, I love Ba Ousainou Darboe,” he said, explaining that they have maintained a close relationship over the years.
“He calls me his nephew, I call him uncle,” Faal said, adding that Darboe had a good relationship with his parents and remains his senior at the bar.
However, Faal stressed that personal respect does not mean political agreement.
“It doesn’t mean that I agree with him on everything,” he said, noting that the two also have differences on legal issues.
Faal said that, at present, there is no agreement at apex on the coalition APP Sobeya is trying to build, while acknowledging that his presence at the UDP event had attracted political interpretations.
He said he was glad to have attended the event, describing it as a good display of Gambian culture and a sign that people from different political backgrounds could still interact respectfully.
“We can belong to different parties but what matters is Gambia,” Faal said.
He acknowledged that the opposition is facing difficult decisions over how to reorganise, realign and decide which political formations to join ahead of the December election.
For Faal, the biggest mistake being made by the opposition is fragmentation and attempts to destroy one another in the pursuit of political power.
He warned against what he describes as Machiavellian leadership and pursuing the presidency at all costs, arguing that Gambia belongs to everyone.
With opposition realignment still uncertain, Faal said the APP Sobeya would ultimately make decisions based on what it believes is best for The Gambia.
