By Seedy Jobe
The Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) on Saturday, April 18, 2026, led early-stage discussions aimed at forming a unified opposition coalition ahead of The Gambia’s presidential election scheduled for December 5, 2026.
The initiative follows ADD’s broader appeal for opposition parties to consolidate into a single bloc to challenge President Adama Barrow in the upcoming polls.
According to a press release issued after the meeting, 14 political parties were invited to participate in the coalition-building talks. Of those, seven attended the session held on April 18.
“The political parties that attended include ADD, APP Sobeya, GDC, GFA, GAP, GPAP, and UDP,” the statement confirmed.
The parties described the initial discussions as productive, noting that deliberations focused on establishing a shared political platform and common national agenda.
“The coalition talks focused on creating a common agenda and platform that address national priorities and the concerns of all parties and that will facilitate a strong and effective partnership,” the release stated.
Participants also agreed on the need to expand the process by engaging parties that were unable to attend the first meeting, as well as other political actors and civil society groups.
“Following productive preliminary discussions, the parties present agreed to re-engage the political parties that were invited but could not attend, as well as other political parties, political movements, and civil society organizations for a broad and inclusive discussion,” the statement added.
The meeting further mandated the ADD leadership to coordinate ongoing coalition efforts and engage with other initiatives aimed at unifying opposition forces.
“Representatives unanimously agreed to task the ADD leadership to work with other coalition-building initiatives to create a united front capable of coalescing all opposition forces around the common objective of defeating President Barrow in the upcoming presidential elections of 5 December 2026,” the release concluded.
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