Dr. Bai Biran Jagne, the PDOIS secretary to the Sovereign Wealth Fund Board, has said the Team Gambia Coalition is well positioned to win the 2026 presidential election, arguing that its organisational structure sets it apart from other political alliances.

“Team Gambia Coalition is better than the other coalitions in the country and can win the 2026 presidential election because the way we set it up is unique,” Dr. Bai Biran Jagne said.

He said the coalition was built around a structure designed to function beyond individual political personalities, unlike what he described as the personality-driven model traditionally associated with many political parties in The Gambia.

Dr. Bai Biran Jagne pointed to the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism, or PDOIS, as an example of a party with a system that can continue beyond individual leaders.

He cited longtime PDOIS figures including Halifa Sallah, Sidia Jatta and Sam Sarr.

“In The Gambia, parties are usually headed by one individual, and after their departure, the party is destroyed,” he said.

Dr. Bai Biran Jagne stressed that Team Gambia is an independent political coalition and is not owned or controlled by PDOIS, although Halifa Sallah and Sidia Jatta are serving as facilitators.

He said the coalition’s political strategy would extend beyond the presidential election to include National Assembly elections.

Dr. Bai Biran Jagne also outlined some of the coalition’s priorities should it win power, including adopting the 2020 draft Constitution within its first 18 months in office and undertaking broader institutional reforms.

He said a Team Gambia government would also seek to address irregular migration, the rising cost of living and persistent problems with electricity supply.

“There will be institutional reforms,” Dr. Bai Biran Jagne said. “When there is a will, there is a way.”