Essa Faal has announced the withdrawal of APP-SOBEYA from the ongoing Coalition Mediation Committee talks ahead of The Gambia’s 2026 presidential election, accusing the flagbearer selection process of falling short of the fairness and credibility required to build a united opposition.

Faal said the decision followed an extensive meeting of the APP-SOBEYA executive, describing the move as difficult but necessary.

He said the party had entered the coalition discussions in good faith, driven by its belief that Gambians, particularly young people, need a united and credible political alternative.

But after months of engagement, Faal said APP-SOBEYA had concluded that the current framework could no longer provide the conditions needed for a fair leadership contest.

“A leadership contest must be genuine,” Faal said, arguing that no candidate should be treated as the only acceptable outcome before the process is completed.

His remarks appear to raise questions over the growing competition surrounding the coalition’s flagbearer selection, particularly amid strong backing for UNITE leader Talib Ahmed Bensouda.

Faal said APP-SOBEYA had taken note of a position it says was communicated by the UNITE camp that the party had invested heavily in Bensouda’s campaign over the past three years and might not accept any outcome other than his selection.

While acknowledging UNITE’s right to support its preferred candidate, Faal argued that such a position could undermine the principle of collective decision-making.

“A coalition cannot be built on the assumption that one candidate must make it,” he said.

Faal also raised concerns over allegations and suggestions of improper conduct and inducements surrounding the process.

He did not establish those allegations as fact, but said their emergence was enough to raise concerns about the credibility of a process expected to command public confidence.

“For APP-SOBEYA, credibility, trust and integrity are not negotiable,” he said.

The former coalition participant also pointed to unresolved disagreements over the proposed governance framework and the failure to formally reach agreement on the introduction of a running-mate system.

He said the party was further concerned about difficulties experienced by some participants attempting to rejoin the process after temporarily stepping aside to deal with internal party matters.

Faal said APP-SOBEYA could not continue lending its legitimacy to a process it believes is fundamentally compromised.

“We are not interested in simply replacing Peter with Paul,” he said, stressing that the coalition must offer Gambians a genuine programme for political and national transformation.

He argued that the growing public demand for a third political force should not become an excuse for political actors to compromise on standards.

According to Faal, any coalition seeking to replace the current political order must first demonstrate the values it promises to bring to national leadership.

He called for fairness, mutual respect, integrity and accountability, while rejecting personal attacks and divisive political rhetoric among opposition actors.

Despite the withdrawal, Faal said APP-SOBEYA remains open to engaging with political parties and movements committed to building a credible national coalition.

He said future cooperation must be based on mutual respect, trust and fairness, with the interests of The Gambia placed above individual political ambitions.

By Adama Makasuba