The United Democratic Party has elected lawyer Ousainou Darboe as its Leader and Secretary General in a congress election where he was the sole candidate 

Mr Darboe’a re-election as party leader meant that he will face President Adama Barrow in the 2021 presidential election. 

Mr Darboe told his jubilant supporters that the party will defeat the incumbent in next year’s presidential election. 

He said Barrow was incompetent and worse than ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh. 

“The upcoming elections would be a referendum on a corrupt and failed government that has squandered a golden opportunity to pivot our country,” Mr Darboe said on Friday at the start of the party congress.

Barrow, a former member of UDP and Mr Darboe’s protégée, is now a fierce political foe to Mr Darboe.

They fell out over Mr Barrow’s second term bid. The two opponents will face off in next year’s presidential election.

Barrow now leads his own political party, the National People’s Party.

Reporting by Adama  Makasuba