Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Banjul Mayoress and United Democratic Party (UDP) Second Vice President Rohey Malick Lowe accused her party members of verbal abuse, character assassination, and internal sabotage on Eye Africa TV, highlighting growing fissures within the country’s largest opposition party.

Despite holding a high-ranking position within the party, she lamented the leadership’s silence in the face of persistent attacks against her from within.

“I’ve been accused of adultery and dishonesty by people in my own party,” Lowe stated. “Mark Janneh has insulted and badmouthed me publicly just because I refused to align with a specific faction — the Talib [Bensouda] camp. I’ve stayed loyal to Darboe, but even that has brought me more internal criticism than any attack from our political rivals.”

The Banjul mayor, once heralded as a rising star in the UDP, claimed that while the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) and others have treated her with a measure of political respect, it is within her own political home that she has felt most targeted.

She noted that her decision not to engage in the growing factionalism, particularly the rivalry between supporters of KMC Mayor Talib Bensouda and Darboe loyalists, has rendered her a scapegoat for internal frustrations.

Medina Deen, the daughter of UDP Deputy Leader Aji Yam Secka

As of now, the UDP executive has not publicly responded to her comments. However, the fallout is already unfolding across social media, particularly on Mayor Lowe’s Facebook page, where party supporters are fiercely divided.

Some have defended her, praising her resilience and reminding her of her role as a political role model. “You’re an important member in the UDP… Thousands will take a bullet for you,” one supporter wrote.

Others cautioned against airing internal disputes in public, warning that her remarks have handed political ammunition to the party’s rivals.

“You have exposed your party to ridicule, and your opponents are capitalizing on it,” another supporter wrote. “There will always be internal disagreements, but these things should not be said in the media.”

Mayor Lowe did not shy away from engaging with her critics. Responding directly to one commentator, she shot back, “I forgot that Mark was in his bedroom for 3 years bullying me.”

She further revealed that Medina Deen, the daughter of UDP Deputy Leader Aji Yam Secka, had insulted her parents — another indication of the depth of the personal attacks she claims to have endured.

In a final comment on her Facebook page, Mayor Lowe announced a strategic retreat from party activities: “If it is only me that will make the party disunited, then from Monday they have a united force. I will move steps back, and trust me, I’ll laugh last and the best.”

Political Implications

Mayor Lowe’s announcement to step back — while stopping short of resignation — is widely seen as an attempt to de-escalate internal tensions, but it also underscores the delicate balance within the UDP as it prepares for the 2026 general elections.

Her revelations may give further weight to ongoing concerns about factional divisions and power struggles within the party.

Observers say that unless managed quickly and sensitively by the party leadership, the situation could undermine UDP’s efforts to present a united front against President Barrow’s NPP, particularly in key urban constituencies like Banjul and the Kanifing Municipality, where Lowe and Bensouda respectively hold mayoral office.

As of now, all eyes remain on the UDP executive. Will they seek to heal the rift — or allow silence to speak louder than strategy?