President Adama Barrow
By Fatou Sillah
President Adama Barrow, speaking during his Meet the People Tour in Ebo Town, recounted his two-decade journey as a member and one of the financial supporters of the United Democratic Party (UDP).
Addressing residents of Talinding, Jeshwang, Serekunda West, and Bakau Constituencies, the president dismissed claims that his presidency was motivated by personal financial gain, emphasizing his substantial contributions to the party during his membership.
“For 20 years, I invested my own money into the UDP. Not once did the party give me even a single dalasi,” President Barrow declared. “When UDP leaders, including Ousainou Darboe, were arrested, and the party faced a leadership crisis, they approached me as their only viable candidate. Initially, I refused. But seeing our people in prison and the party in peril, I felt compelled to step forward and contest.”
Reflecting on his journey to the presidency, Barrow revealed that he personally financed a significant portion of the UDP’s campaign efforts after being selected as their candidate.
“We budgeted 1.5 million dalasis for a countrywide tour to connect with the people. Contributions from UDP members abroad totaled just 210,000 dalasis. I covered the remaining 1.29 million from my own pocket,” he recounted. “If my intention was personal wealth, I wouldn’t have taken such risks.”
The president also shared an anecdote about the challenges he faced during the campaign, including the need to buy a vehicle when none was available.
“One member in prison owned a car, but he refused to let it be used for the campaign. So, I purchased a vehicle for 700,000 dalasis to ensure the campaign could proceed,” he said.
In addition, Barrow disclosed that he financed other key campaign expenses.
“The money we had wasn’t enough to pay the artists and drivers traveling with us. When we returned to Kombo, I withdrew 500,000 dalasis to settle those costs. To this day, some people claim I became president to enrich myself. But my fight wasn’t about wealth—it was about rescuing our people and bringing change,” he concluded.