Renowned Gambian human rights defender and pro-democracy campaigner Madi Jobarteh has strongly condemned the Wednesday appointment of Alieu Loum as Chief of Staff, Momodou K. Dibba as Deputy Chief of Staff, and the earlier naming of Mod K. Ceesay as Minister of Trade, describing the key presidential advisory posts as “illegal offices” that violate the 1997 Constitution.
In a statement, Jobarteh argued that neither the positions of Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, nor Presidential Adviser are mentioned anywhere in the Constitution. He insisted that, under Section 80, the President may only create public offices “subject to this Constitution and any Act of the National Assembly.”
“The President cannot unilaterally create an office in the public service,” Jobarteh stressed, adding that until Parliament passes legislation formally establishing these roles, “these offices and their holders are illegal.”
The activist, who has consistently championed constitutionalism and the rule of law since the fall of Yahya Jammeh, accused the Barrow administration of repeatedly bypassing the National Assembly to expand the presidency with unapproved positions. He called on the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to “properly guide the President on constitutional and legal matters” instead of allowing what he called a creeping return to executive overreach.
Jobarteh’s intervention comes just hours after the State House announced the promotions, reigniting long-standing debates about the size and legality of the Office of the President. Critics fear that the continued expansion of non-statutory roles undermines transparency and accountability in governance.
Jobarteh urged citizens and civil society to demand strict adherence to the Constitution, warning that silence today could erode hard-won democratic gains tomorrow.
