President Adama Barrow has said, in what observers would consider his strongest statement yet on the 3-year Coalition agreement, that he would serve his full five year term.

Barrow told supporters at State House on Saturday that he was elected by the Gambian people and that he won’t be cowed by anyone to leave office before the next presidential election in 2021.

“No one can scare me to give up the presidency before 2021. That cannot happen and I will not allow that and so if anyone has that plan, he or she should drop it. We will only go to election in 2021 and I will graciously hand over the office to whoever wins. That is the only thing that will make me leave the State House.”  

“I was voted to serve the needs and aspirations of the Gambian people. I wouldn’t allow anyone to obstruct or undermine those great expectations that Gambians had vested in me. I am the bus driver, and I wouldn’t hesitate to drop off passengers who did not support my government’s agenda.”

Barrow pointed out that he achieved in three months, to remove Jammeh from office, what the opposition parties had failed for decades.

“If I was to leave office today, I’d do so as a very proud man because it will remain in Gambia’s history that I was the man who sent Jammeh out of this country.”

The president said his detractors should at least give credit where credit’s due,  teasing that “no matter how you hate the dog you have to admit that its teeth are white.”  

Barrow said his critics and detractors are scared that when he completes his development projects, it would be hard to defeat him at the polls. He said his preoccupation is to deliver on the mandate that had been given to him by the Gambian people.

The president who is frequently using proverbs in his speeches to hammer home his point narrated a private conversation he had with a friend, who suggested to him that he should form his own political party.

“But I told him the knife I used to slaughter the elephant is still at the State House and a hen cannot stand that knife.”