Former vice president Ousainou Darboe has been accused of being “disruptive” during his time in government and that was the principal reason Barrow sacked him.  

The claim was made by Manjako Samusa, Nominated National Assembly Member, during an interview on Wednesday with Star FM .

Samusa said that Darboe’s sacking was the right thing for the country adding that he and the other sacked ministers were not performing as well as was expected of them.

He said Barrow’s sacking of Darboe had endeared him to many Gambians as Darboe was seen as divisive and the political leader who derailed the Coalition agreement.  

Samusa pointed out that the president had the prerogative to sack anyone in cabinet in the interest of the country.

“They did not deliver. They were destabilizing the government’s transition. It is only the UDP supporters who will claim being betrayed by President Barrow because when we were forming the Coalition Darboe was in jail. We would have expected him to see President Barrow as his own son and not to serve as a detractor. The truth is Darboe is the one who split the coalition.

“This is a transitional government and the last thing you want is to have people in government who are detractors. We all know the situation in which this country was before the coming of President Barrow. Ousainou Darboe was in jail when we all came together to vote Jammeh out. We would have expected that he will serve as an inspiration and not a detractor.”

Samusa said that the UDP were responsible for all the misunderstandings between them and President Barrow, adding “one cannot be in cabinet and keep caricaturing the person who appointed you.”

He disclosed that Barrow was not Darboe’s first choice for the UDP flag bearer for the 2016 election. He said Darboe wanted Dr Isatou Touray to lead the UDP but the party executive where not happy with Dr Touray’s selection. In the end, he said, Barrow was selected and he ended up being Gambia’s saviour from the Jammeh dictatorship.