Darboe is an elderly statesman; he’s indeed an honourable man and a gentle man. He has lots of love for his country and he chooses his words very carefully and he does not act on impulse.

Politics is not the ideal business for a gentleman. Darboe will make a better Secretary General of the Civil Service than leader of the opposition. That’s my take from listening to more than an hour of Darboe on the radio talk show Mengbekering.

Darboe is a political leader who reacts to events rather than the one who sets the agenda. Given the size and the following of the UDP, its Darboe’s wait and see politics that mostly puts the UDP on the back foot on political issues that the UDP should be leading on.

From the continuous rancour about the formation of coalition alliances under Jammeh to the aftermath of the parliamentary election of 2017, Honourable Darboe has been more than generous with the other coalition partners given the overwhelming majority political support of the UDP.

I find it unbelievable that political parties (with three per cent of the electoral votes) would even have the guts to lay claim to leading the political coalition in The Gambia. And Darboe was more than magnanimous with President Barrow given that the UDP has the majority in the National Assembly.

The most telling moment for me from the interview was when Darboe said that President Barrow childishly told him (Darboe) that he preferred Isatou Touray to be the presidential candidate of the UDP than him Barrow.

I mean how unnecessary such a stupid confrontation was. But it goes to show the kind of person we have for president. A ‘nobody who has neither class nor courtesy.

But most of the political battles that Darboe and the UDP have to fight are the result of Darboe’s style of political leadership. And that style of taking political punches and then reacting is what has led to the diabolical political situation in The Gambia.

Nonetheless, credit to Honourable Darboe for being very courteous and mindful of his undeserving political opponents. Darboe and the UDP have to be more assertive and commanding in dealing with their political opponents.

It’s the UDP that should be setting tone and leading in Gambian politics because of the size and the following of the UDP. I hope that Darboe and the UDP have learnt their lessons.

By Yusupha Bojang