By Makutu Manneh
Essa Mbye Faal, leader of the APP-Sobeyaa political party, said he would not support a party-led opposition coalition in The Gambia’s 2026 presidential election, arguing that such an arrangement risks sidelining key stakeholders and undermining collective efforts.
Speaking in a recent interview on the Kerr Fatou Show, Mr. Faal said his party favors a candidate-led coalition, in which participating groups jointly select a leader or establish a transparent process to determine who is best positioned to unify and lead the alliance.
“APP Sobeyaa will not accept a party-led coalition because I do not think that helps produce the best results,” Mr. Faal said, citing concerns rooted in the experience of the 2016 opposition coalition.
While some have characterized the 2016 alliance as candidate-driven, Mr. Faal disputed that view, describing it instead as “de facto party-led.” He argued that, regardless of its original conception, the structure functioned in a way that concentrated influence within certain parties.
He warned that a party-led coalition could create tensions among partners, particularly when smaller or less dominant groups feel their contributions are undervalued after the coalition is formed.
“We have to be honest; we cannot all do the work to help establish a coalition, which, without our support, the coalition will not win, and now that you are the leader or your party is leading, you diminish the involvement and importance of others. We don’t want that,” he said.
Mr. Faal emphasized that political parties invest significant time, resources, and political capital in coalition-building and should therefore play a meaningful role in shaping their leadership and direction.
Although he stopped short of accusing any group of acting in bad faith, he said past experiences underscore the need for safeguards to protect the interests of all participants.
In his view, adopting a party-led model would amount to “sacrificing our investment, involvement, and sacrifice at the altar of political convenience,” a trade-off he said his party is unwilling to accept.
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