By Abubacarr
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By Melville Robertson Roberts Esq
In a packed auditorium in London, before the militants of the United Democratic Party and in the dignified presence of Honourable Ousainu Darboe, I rose to speak. It was not just another gathering, not just another convention. It was a moment charged with history, a moment to remind every Gambian that the UDP is no ordinary party.With voice steady and conviction unshaken, I declared that the UDP is a party built on resilience, on the tears and sweat of The Gambia’s illustrious sons and daughters. This is a party that has withstood the cruelty of dictatorship, weathered storms designed to break its spirit, and yet has emerged stronger, brighter, and more determined. The UDP has stood the test of time, and it will continue to do so.Today, we witness resignations. Some look at them with worry, others with speculation. But I reminded my brothers and sisters that these are not signs of weakness, they are the hallmarks of a thriving democracy.In every living democracy, men and women come and go. Leaders rise and leaders step aside. It is not the end, it is a new phase of growth.There will be many more resignations. Even that greatest of all, the eventual resignation of Mayor Talib Bensouda. Yet what I know is this: the UDP will survive. The UDP has always survived. Because it is bigger than one man, bigger than one position, bigger than personal ambition.One day soon, there will come a moment of convergence. A moment where ambition will bow to patriotism, where personal interest will give way to national duty. And on that day, the country will come first.The UDP is not fragile. It is a fortress built on sacrifice. It has been tested by time, by prison walls, by exile, by betrayal, by the heavy boots of dictatorship and it has never fallen. It will not fall now.I do not speak for myself alone. I speak for every Gambian who has carried hope in their hearts and fire in their souls. I speak for the martyrs of justice and the builders of democracy.I speak to remind all that the struggle is not finished, the story is not over, and the UDP remains the unwavering compass guiding The Gambia toward unity, dignity, and progress. It continues to play a key and pivotal role in our nations political discourse. It is relevant and it is crucial to ensuring that The Gambia arrives at its ultimate destination.I firmly believe, that someday soon, the UDP along with great and towering figures such as Lawyer Ousainu Darboe, Chairman Yankuba Darboe, Mayor Ahmed Talib Bensouda, Barrister Essa Faal, Honourable Mama Kandeh, Honourable Halifa Sallah, Barrister Lamin J Darboe and so many other great men including President Adama Barrow will share a meal together at the table of brotherhood, where the menu of the day will be nothing else but project Gambia.
