Has the UDP Lost Its Bearings?

The recent appointment of Pa Manneh of Brikama as the new campaign manager of the United Democratic Party (UDP) has raised serious questions about the party’s direction and judgment. For a movement that once symbolized steadfast opposition, democratic ideals, and moral integrity, this decision may prove to be one of its gravest missteps.

Pa Manneh is not a new figure within the UDP. As one of the party’s early members and former youth leader, he played a pivotal role during its formative years. Yet, his political record since then has been marred by controversy and mistrust. During the turbulent years following the collapse of the National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD) in 2006, it was widely alleged that Pa Manneh and others were compromised by the former regime of Yahya Jammeh — acting as informants against the very opposition they once championed.

Those allegations gained further weight when Pa Manneh eventually crossed over to the ruling APRC, serving as an elected councillor under Jammeh’s government until the regime’s fall in 2017. His subsequent return to the UDP after Jammeh’s exile was seen by many as a calculated move rather than an act of reconciliation.

Fast forward to today: the UDP, weakened by internal resignations and factional infighting — notably the departure of Talib Ahmed Bensouda and other key figures — seems to be struggling to regain coherence. The choice of Pa Manneh as campaign manager, therefore, reflects not strategic renewal, but desperation.

For a party that once stood as the moral compass of Gambian politics, entrusting its campaign machinery to a figure with such a chequered political history undermines its credibility and alienates its base. It signals a party adrift — uncertain of its values, haunted by internal disarray, and seemingly willing to sacrifice principle for expedience.

If the UDP is to remain relevant in the evolving political landscape, it must confront these contradictions head-on. Otherwise, history may remember this decision not as a revival, but as the moment the UDP truly lost its bearings.