By Seedy Jobe
Kalifa E. Jarju, spokesperson for the APRC No-To-Alliance faction loyal to former President Yahya Jammeh, has said the exiled leader remains the group’s preferred candidate for The Gambia’s December 2026 presidential election.
In an interview with Zoom Africa TV on Thursday, Jarju said supporters of the faction continue to back Jammeh, citing what he described as the former president’s past record in office.
“Our first option is Jammeh. He is the chosen one,” Jarju said when asked whether the group had an alternative candidate in the absence of a political alliance.
Jarju framed calls for Jammeh’s return as an expression of democratic choice, arguing that public support for the former leader should be respected.
“Many are calling for Jammeh to return. So now, what I can say is there are many who keep saying, “Democracy, democracy; we have to respect democracy. What I can say is that this is a democracy, because you have to accept the will of the people.”
He further pointed to Jammeh’s initial acceptance of the 2016 election results as evidence of his respect for democratic principles.
“That is when Jammeh saw that the IEC announced he had been defeated; he accepted the will of the people and left. And still now, people are demanding that he come back. They should still make an effort to respect that democracy they are calling for, to see that the door is open for Jammeh to come,” he said.
Jarju also challenged President Adama Barrow to facilitate Jammeh’s return, suggesting it would demonstrate confidence in his own leadership.
“If the incumbent believes in himself and the work he has done, there is no need for him to campaign. Then open the door to ensure reconciliation is done. Jammeh is to come as a private citizen, and it’s his right if he wants to participate in this upcoming presidential election. He can contest. Then you allow the Gambian people to speak for themselves and for you to decide for the Gambian people,” he said.
Questioning the government’s stated position that Jammeh is free to return, Jarju expressed skepticism about the administration’s sincerity.
“You know what is said in private and what is said in public are not the same,” Mr. Jarju said. “Would Barrow honor the ECOWAS protocol, the UN, and the AU and ECOWAS joint declaration? If he truly believes what he says, then he should be the one to champion and ensure they adhere to the joint declaration.”
Jarju also accused the government of failing to safeguard Jammeh’s assets under the terms of the January 2017 joint declaration that facilitated his exile to Equatorial Guinea.
“Even if Jammeh were to return, under the joint declaration, Jammeh’s assets alone, he could not do anything in that regard. He did not protect it,” Jarju said. “That alone shows that the man is not ready for Jammeh to come back.”
Despite years in exile, Jarju maintained that Jammeh continues to hold political relevance in The Gambia.
“And right now, referring to (Barrow) they follow Facebook, TikTok, anywhere. Jammeh is still relevant in the eyes of the Gambian people,” he said
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