Essa Faal, leader of APP–SOBEYA, has issued a strong call to Gambians in the diaspora to mobilise and influence voters back home ahead of the December presidential election, describing the vote as a make-or-break moment for the country’s direction.

Speaking during a Facebook Live broadcast to supporters, Faal urged overseas Gambians to intensify outreach, voter education and grassroots persuasion, arguing that diaspora involvement could prove decisive in shaping the outcome of the polls.

“As our nation approaches a decisive presidential election in December, this is a defining moment that calls for unity, conviction and action,” Faal said.

“Every Gambian at home and abroad has a vital role to play. Diaspora engagement is not optional,  it is essential.”

Addressing viewers directly, the APP–SOBEYA leader said the election should rise above party loyalty and be treated as a national responsibility centred on accountability and the protection of public institutions.

“This election transcends political affiliation. It is about safeguarding our collective future and restoring hope to our people,” he said.

In his remarks, Faal criticised current conditions in the country, pointing to rising living costs, unemployment and insecurity as pressures weighing heavily on families.

He said the continued loss of young Gambians through dangerous irregular migration routes toward Europe, widely known as the backway,  reflects limited economic opportunity at home.

“Families are struggling under an unbearable high cost of living. Unemployment continues to rise. Insecurity persists,” he said.

“We continue to lose our young people to dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean in search of opportunities denied to them at home.”

He told diaspora supporters their voices and networks can directly influence change if they actively engage relatives and communities in conversations about voting and national direction.

“When you speak, when you mobilise and act, you amplify the aspirations of millions who dream of a better Gambia,” Faal said. “Every conversation matters. Every vote counts.”

Faal also encouraged supporters abroad to organise through APP–SOBEYA chapters worldwide, including its United States branch, and recommit to what he described as a shared national cause ahead of election day.

 He expressed confidence that coordinated action could produce political change.

“Change is within reach if we stand together and act with purpose,” he said. “Together, we can turn the Gambia around.”

By Adama Makasuba