In a public statement, the Mayor of Banjul and President of the African Network of Elected Women (REFELA) addressed persistent accusations stemming from political opponents and media commentators, clarifying her position within the United Democratic Party (UDP) and her wider responsibilities in national and international leadership.
“I am not the best among us,” she said, “but one thing even my worst enemies will admit is that I am consistently a ‘what you see is what you get’ person. I don’t sugar-coat or mince my words.”
Mayor Lowe reaffirmed her unequivocal stance that she has no interest in contesting for the UDP flagbearership. “If I wanted it, I would fight tooth and nail for it just as I did to become the first female Mayor of The Gambia and the first Mayor of Banjul to serve a consecutive second term,” she said, adding, “I am not afraid of any human walking this earth.”
Declaring that she does not operate a political “camp” or use social media attack proxies, Lowe expressed her disapproval of personal attacks within political parties and urged for accountability from those speaking on her behalf.
To preserve her peace of mind, Lowe revealed that she had withdrawn from most party platforms and spaces, noting that internal conflicts had made meaningful engagement untenable. “Everyone has a party they love, but when it gets infested with venomous snakes and scorpions, wisdom demands you move,” she asserted.
She claimed that smear campaigns in The Gambia are often sponsored, with individuals allegedly paid to target and defame political opponents. One such individual, according to Lowe, has harassed her for over seven years, labelling her “a drug dealer”, “witch”, and “incompetent” before recently escalating to “the most corrupt Mayor in The Gambia”, remarks she says are based on premature conclusions from an ongoing inquiry.
“Without naming names directly, Mayor Lowe criticised one political commentator she accused of hypocrisy, financial opportunism, and media manipulation. She referenced alleged nepotism and conflicts of interest surrounding project funding and campaign material distribution.”
“Gambians are not sleeping and with time, all will be clear,” she said. “His loyalty lies in his pocket and in what brings him business. I refused to respond to his years of insults because he is irrelevant in this political space.”
Mayor Lowe said she had consistently maintained transparency during her appearances before the Commission, reaffirming that she had not personally benefited neither in cash nor in kind from any municipal process. She further urged that the level of scrutiny applied to her should be extended equally to all public officials.
Her statement also took aim at what she views as the toxic nature of political discourse. “These self-entitled attack dogs are the poison in our political space,” she said. “Your time is up and my silence is no more.”
Despite the hostile environment, Lowe says she remains focused on building peace and bridges, noting her continued international responsibilities and commitment to serving Banjul. “Words are empty without action,” she stated. “Even those outside our party know who is truly interested in the flagbearer position. It is clear I am not. Call off the attack dogs.”
As she concluded, Mayor Lowe appealed for her space to be respected and her peace protected, stressing her openness to scrutiny as a public official but drawing the line at deliberate defamation.
“For the attack dogs whose ultimate objective is to humiliate me,” she warned, “you forget that I do not need a camp to defend myself. I will fight this battle alone if I have to, and even at your best, you fight a losing battle.”
