This year, the UDP national congress attracted party delegates across the country in fulfillment of the electoral requirements and laws of the country that require all political parties to hold a biennial congress in filling the positions of national executive members.
Ousainu Darboe, leader and secretary general for the United Democratic Party (UDP) called on his party members and supporters to unite for the development of the party.
“If you want to take The Gambia to where you want it to reach, you have to get one voice. That is why we formed the party and called it United Democratic Party. We want to establish one voice in the party with three households. These three households are: “peace, justice and progress,” he said.
The UDP leader said any member of the party can become a president and he or she will run the affairs of the country for the best interest of the Gambian people. He added that anything in life has to do with the time and everybody has to believe that. He underlined unity and straight forwardness as significant instruments for national development.
He indicated that the Gambian people have the hope on United Democratic Party because they believe that it is the only the party that can put the country on a right direction.
"We are all saying that we will win the 2026 election. But we cannot win the presidential election if we pull one another down within the party; if we are accusing each other and tarnishing each other’s image on things that aren’t true. If we continue this trend, we will not achieve our objective.
“Those UDP members who are active on social media should ensure that we amplify the party’s principle and programmes. But you should not be agents for our opponents who are fed with information against our members believing that you are doing good to the nation; not knowing that you are doing more harm to the nation and the United Democratic Party,” Darboe told the gathering.
The party senior administrative secretary, Alhage S. Darboe, who doubles as the National Assembly Member for Brikama North highlighted the vision, policies and programmes of the party.
The reports emanating from the last congress held in Janjanbureh and the reports on previous and ongoing programmes and activities were also unveiled to the party members and the supporters by Hon. Darboe.
According to him, this year's UDP congress was non-elective. However a newly updated 65 executive members was announced with Ousainu ANM Darboe as secretary general and leader of the party.
Amadou Sanneh, the United Democratic Party (UDP) national treasurer thanked the UDP Diaspora chapter for their financial contribution to the party. He disclosed that the chapter contributed over Three Million Dalasis (D3, 000,000) to the party during the year under review.
He challenged the locally based members to strengthen their financial contributions as the party cannot run in the absence of the finance and cannot entirely rely on the diaspora for funding the activities of the party.
National Treasurer Sanneh called on the local based members of the party to actively pay their monthly Five dalasis (D5) in which West Coast Region contributed over D50, 000, Kanifing Municipality over D20,000, D5,000, North Bank Region D6, 000, Central River Region both South and North contributed over D10,000 while Upper River Region rocked the bottom with D800. However, the contribution from the Lower River Region was not mentioned by the UDP national treasurer as he was yet to receive payment report from the said region before the congress.
