Joseph Badiabio, also known as Dadys, aged 70, emerged as the President of the Union des démocrates humanistes (UDH-Yuki), a party founded by the late Congolese opposition figure Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas, during its congress last December. However, dissidents have labeled him an usurper. Badiabio addresses these criticisms.
Joseph Badiabio, the President of the Education Commission of the Congolese National Assembly, clad in a suit and tie with a white goatee, graciously receives us in the building that also houses the offices of the lower house of parliament. He reflects on the circumstances surrounding his election to lead the UDH-Yuki.
“As you can imagine when participating in an election of this magnitude, one must take all necessary precautions. That’s precisely what was done. I can assure you that everything transpired normally, in the healthiest conditions, because there was a democratic and entirely legal voting process.”
Badiabio clarifies that he was not the sole candidate in the race, but his opponents chose not to contend, anticipating his victory.
He calls upon his detractors to unite. “What I ask, however, is for them to join us because my constant message in all my speeches is the cohesion of the party so that we can progress together. Let’s sit down and work in synergy for the betterment of our party.”
A seasoned political veteran, Joseph Badiabio reaffirms his longstanding connection with the late Guy-Brice Parfait Kolélas, the founder of UDH-Yuki, who passed away in 2021, the day after the last presidential election.