Bubacarr Keita has accused President Adama Barrow of threatening him after he publicly opposed the idea of the president seeking a third term in office.

In a statement posted online, Keita said the confrontation began shortly after his 2023 interview with journalist Fatu Camara, where he made his stance clear.

 “After I did my interview with Fatu Camara last year where I mentioned that the president should not consider running for a third term, a few days later I had a heated argument with him on the phone,” Keita wrote.

He said part of that conversation will be detailed in his upcoming book titled My Story, but he shared a portion of the exchange publicly.

“Pre: Bob, why would you go on TV and say I should not run for a third term?”

“Me: That’s my opinion and I believe it’s the right thing to do.”

“Pre: Bob, you are too small and young to tell me what to do.”

“Me: Ok.”

“Pre: You want to be like Ousmane Sonko of Senegal and that’s why he’ll never be a president—because he’s rude and arrogant. And if you’re not careful, I’ll lock you up.”

“Me: Ok.”

“Pre: It’s like you lack home training from your parents.”

“At this point,” Keita said, “I was so angry and I fired back at him and said if you insult me, I’ll pay back. The phone was taken away.”

Keita said he immediately informed his lawyer, LS Camara, and also told his wife and close friends including Lamin, Kexx Sanneh, and Musa Dibba.

“I remember telling Nyang Njie and my mentor Muhammed Kanyi, but I told them not to tell anyone. I went to mom and told her and she was worried for my life,” he added.

He said from that day, he became emotionally distant from President Barrow and the NPP.

“But the fact that he talked about my parents, I took that personal. I wanted to face him and tell him something that would upset him too.”

Keita described how he attempted to confront the president during the NPP congress last year.

“I was asked by a few members if I wanted to attend the congress and I said yes, looking for the best opportunity to tell him what I wanted to say.”

According to him, he travelled with the presidential convoy to the event.

 “When I arrived, the whole media attention was on me. I remember taking a picture with the deputy speaker and Amadou. The picture went viral and I was insulted and called names. My mission again was failed because I couldn’t face him.”

He added: “In the middle of the congress, I told the driver to take me home. I was so angry because lots of people wouldn’t know my mission there.”

Keita said he later tried to connect with ministers close to the president in order to meet him, but it never worked out. He expressed his hurt at being labelled a “sellout” by some activists.

“What makes me so sad is when people like Mark Janneh, Waly Jnr Sizzle and Fatou Jagne called me a sellout and betrayer when they don’t know what I’m going through.”

Keita concluded his statement by announcing that he will reveal more in upcoming parts of his story. “Next story will be my meeting with Baba and Amadou! And my meeting with the president in 2022 just after my release from Mile 2. A meeting with MOJ and lots more. Stay tuned for parts 2, 3, and 4.”

The Office of the President has not yet issued a response to the claims.

By Adama Makasuba