NPP – The Incumbent: President Adama Barrow

In 2016, our tiny nation, The Gambia, stood tall on the world stage. We did the impossible—we overthrew a rich, brutal, and entrenched dictator through unity. A historic coalition of political parties came together and gave us our “Moses,” Adama Barrow, the man who was supposed to lead us to the promised land of democracy. The world cheered. We cheered. But what did we really get?

From the onset, it was clear Barrow lacked the intelligence, vision, and leadership we desperately needed. Even kids warn us, “This guy is not impressive.” But the UDP, the strongest opposition party, vouched for him. They sold him as honest, a man of integrity. We bought it wholesale, convinced that if the UDP believed in him, he was good for the country. How wrong we were.

Once in power, Barrow systematically dismantled the coalition, removing opposition figures one by one. The only party left standing was PDOIS, which never took an executive role in the first place. He even kicked out his political mentor, Ousainou Darboe, the very man who catapulted him to the presidency. 

And then, in desperation, he sought an alliance with the very dictator we removed! Yahya Jammeh publicly humiliated him, calling him a donkey—and yet, he still pursued remnants of the dictator’s party (APRC). Reason some of us, giving him the benefit of the doubt, bolted out quick.

To his credit, he successfully split the APRC into factions: the “Yes to Barrow” camp and the “Jammeh loyalists” (or whatever confusing names they call themselves). It was like watching a circus. In all of this, Barrow turned his back on the very people who put him in power— including the diaspora, grassroots activists, and the victims of Jammeh’s brutal regime.

Instead, he embraced Seedy Njie and the likes, Jammeh’s right-hand man—the very guy who fought tooth and nail with the dictator to ensure Barrow never became president. When Jammeh was ousted, Seedy Njie absconded with the dictator, only to be welcomed back by Barrow and rewarded with the position of deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. What a betrayal to our struggle!

At least, under Barrow, we gained the freedom to say whatever we wanted. He is mild-mannered and looked harmless—a far cry from his predecessor. But mild manners and harmlessness do not build nations. Leadership does. And in that department, he has failed spectacularly.

For the first time in our country’s history, commercial planes cannot land due to a lack of electricity. Corruption is out of control, eating away at every institution, while the government drowns in sheer incompetence. 

The destruction of forest parks for selfish gain continues unchecked, with lands being sold off to private citizens, erasing our flora and fauna. Even properties seized from the former dictator—assets that could have been used for government projects such as future parks, army barracks, schools, and hospitals—are mysteriously being sold off. 

Everything, from real estate to even Jammeh’s cattle, is being liquidated without accountability, as if the state itself is up for sale. This level of recklessness is unprecedented, and The Gambia is bleeding from it.

One of his most disgraceful acts was hiding behind constitutional loopholes to disenfranchise Gambian citizens abroad from voting. The very diaspora that tirelessly fought for democracy and contributes nearly a billion dollars to the economy was shut out of the electoral process by his party, the NPP, NRP, along with their allies in Parliament. It was a blatant betrayal, a calculated move to weaken opposition forces and maintain his grip on power at the expense of democracy itself.

And now, as if two terms of failure were not enough, Barrow is running for a third term—something that must be discouraged, even if he had done exceptionally well. The Gambia cannot afford to slide back into an era where presidents endlessly cling to power. Enough is enough.

UDP – The “Biggest Opposition”?

UDP claims to be the largest opposition party. They led the coalition, but when the government collapsed, what did they do? Declare war on Barrow. Their leader, Ousainou Darboe, vowed to make the government ungovernable—despite his own role in dissolving the coalition or turning a blind eye to its downfall, until Barrow dismissed him from the Vice President and Foreign Affairs ministry positions. Their politics is about absolute power and control, not about The Gambia. 
Organized? Yes. Disciplined? Absolutely. Smart? Without a doubt. 

But here’s the problem: they are an extremely dangerous party. They operate with a cult-like mentality where there is no room for dissent—either you’re with them or against them. The arrogance, intolerance and bullying define their approach, allowing zero tolerance for opposing views. Their aggression is so extreme that many Gambians refer to them as the Janjaweed—a ruthless force that eliminates opposition. They are also dubbed ‘Sonkadoo,’ in Mandinka meaning ‘quarrel kingdom,’ or ‘quarrel territory’ a name that fits them perfectly. They thrive on hostility, turning every disagreement into an all-out war.

They rain insults on opponents like drunken sailors, harassing, intimidating, and threatening anyone who refuses to toe their line. Their obsession with power is so intense that even those who respect their intellect fear them at the ballot box. 

They run like a parallel government, using threats and intimidation to silence opposition. We have witnessed this in the 2021 elections when they were rounding up polling stations, checking on ‘foreigners’ who vote, intimidating those they suspect of not belonging. This was not just a political strategy—it was outright voter suppression, an attempt to control and manipulate the democratic process through fear and exclusion. 

Their deep-seated anti-immigrant sentiment fuels their rhetoric as they continuously blame Fulas and Senegalese for their political failures, fearmongering against so-called ‘foreigners’ to divide and control. They drown in their own noise, mistaking it for national popularity. 

They lost the 2021 elections to Barrow and still can’t understand why. The truth? Even some of their sympathisers fear them and refuse to vote for them. Their party executives and members on the ground and in the diaspora are smart, educated, and extremely loyal. Some of their frontline leaders, including Lamin Sanneh, Talib Bensouda, (Rohey Malick Lowe), and Yankuba Darbo, are bold, brilliant, and serious intellectuals. 

However, even with a fresh face at the helm, if the party remains in control, many Gambians may still hesitate to vote for them. Their aggression, intimidation, and intolerance keep Gambians from entrusting them with ultimate power.

Imagine UDP in control of the armoury, the army, defence, police, immigration, and intelligence services. Imagine that. Just imagine! Does. Hitler. Mein Kampf. Ring a bell?? Do we really want that kind of unchecked power in their hands? WE DARE NOT.

PDOIS – The Unwanted Saints?

Halipha Sallah and Sidia Jatta are political titans—principled, intelligent, and honest. Yet for 30 years, Gambians have ignored them. Why? Because we love drama, corruption, and mediocrity. Instead of voting for integrity, we applaud thieves and demagogues.

The PDOIS record is spotless. No corruption, no betrayal. Just raw, unfiltered leadership. Why not give them a chance? What do we have to fear? For once, can we choose honesty over theatrics?

GDC – Mama Kandeh, The Wild Card

Mama Kandeh is eloquent, brave, but a spoiler in every election due to his pocket of loyal supporters—making him a dangerous opponent. He understands our struggles and articulates them well. The only ‘scandal’ around him? He reportedly has many, many, many wives. Not our business—but he should know that State House only has room for two. He remains a strong political force, one to watch in any alliance. He is a great orator and can blend well in any coalition.

The Sobeyaa Movement – Essa Faal, The Lawyer-Turned-Politician

Essa Faal entered politics at the last minute in 2021 and made no impact. He is an international lawyer who rose to prominence after presiding over the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRRC). 

While Gambians appreciated his ability to hold perpetrators of Jammeh’s crimes accountable, we cannot forget the many lawyers who risked their careers and lives to help victims escape Jammeh’s brutality—Lamin Camara, Jobarteh, Antouman Gaye, Lamin J. Darbo, Borry Touray, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, Chey Yassin Secka, and even Pa Harry Jammeh, who, despite working under Jammeh, at times showed empathy. And many other innocent civilians, Journalists, activists and politicians that lost their lives and jobs in that very tough era.

Unlike them, Essa Faal and his team of ‘legal experts’ were nowhere to be found during the tough years of dictatorship. Some of us held that against him for a while. But no time for grudges now! Yet, he successfully leveraged his TRRC fame into politics. Still, he is articulate, intelligent, and undeniably sharp. His vision for The Gambia is clear, and his words resonate. 

Now, he believes it is his time to contribute, participate, and save The Gambia. His message is clear: he understands our predicament and is asking for our support.
Should we take a chance on him? WHY NOT? A fresh start is long overdue. Maybe he is the breath of fresh air we need. Maybe, just maybe, he is the disruptor who can shake up this broken system. But let’s be clear—he has a lot to prove. 

GMC, CA

We have Mai Ahmed Fatty of GMC, Dr. Ceesay of Citizens’ Alliance (CA), (Henry Gomez-not sure) already in alliance with NPP.

Women Must Rise!

It’s time for bold, fearless women to take centre stage: Lizzie Eunson, Touma Njie, Neneh Freda Gomez, Fatou Cham, Zeinab Darboe, Tukulor Sey, Niania Darbo, Ndey Jobarteh, Nancy Jallow, Fanta SB Manneh – to name just a few from many. These women have the integrity, intelligence, and political acumen to lead—desperate times call for bold measures.

Our Predicament: The Ultimate Challenge

How do we rid ourselves of the ungrateful political monster that is Barrow and the aggressive, intolerant, power-hungry UDP? 

The UDP and NPP quarrels have cost us some political peace, and both must go! Honestly, we are tired BUT WE MUST create a mini revolution around these two parties so The Gambia can breathe again. Let the rest of the opposition parties’ band together and save The Gambia for a second time.

This is the question that defines our generation. Gambia is at a crossroads. We can choose leadership based on integrity and competence, or we can avoid costly political mishaps that will set us back yet again. 

The choice is ours. The Gambia’s future is on the line—what will we do? Enough is enough—our country is held hostage by NPP & UDP leaders! From dictatorship to disaster—how do we fix Gambia? Who will break Gambia’s curse? The people must decide. Gambia must rise. Now. AIWAA

By Fatou Jaw Manneh