Samsudeen Sarr has described the people criticising the appointment of Vice President Muhammed MS Jallow as ‘low IQ home wreckers’. 

The appointment of the former civil servant has attracted criticism among some elements of the opposition. 

They said the President should have chosen any one of the hundreds of qualified Gambians rather than appointing a retired civil servant.

However, Samsudeen Sarr, a former army captain and diplomat under the Jammeh regime who is now a staunch supporter of President Barrow, has rebuked those opposing the appointment. 

He said: “unfortunately, for our low IQ home wreckers or foundation crackers, questioning the president’s decision to appoint a retiree aimed at casting suspicion over Mr. Jallow’s age and competency, bears all the hallmarks of prejudice and hatefulness.

“These folks are blinded to the fact that the position of vice president is indeed political and that all previous vice presidents since 2017 from Mrs. Fatoumata Jallow Tambajang to Mr. Ousianou Darbo to Dr. Isatou Touray and to the late Mr. Barara Joof were far older than Mr. Jallow at the time of their appointments by President Barrow. Where were these jejune zealots with their age-discriminatory propensities then?”

“Amazingly, these were the very grumblers over the “politically motivated-age limit of sixty-five” in the 1997 Constitution that was hastily amended in 2017 to allow their preferred senior contenders to contest in the 2021 election.

“And what an irony to catch sight of United Democratic Party (UDP) sympathisers bitching about the age of Vice President Muhammed Jallow and his ethnicity when their party’s top executive seats still remained monopolised by 800-pound-octogenarian leaders,” he added.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba