By Fatou Sillah
Almameh Gibba, the National Assembly member for Foni Kansala, has warned that the opposition’s prospects of defeating President Adama Barrow in the 2026 presidential election could be undermined by political leaders’ unwillingness to compromise.
In an interview with West Coast Radio, Mr. Gibba expressed doubt that the continuing coalition negotiations would succeed, arguing that many opposition leaders appeared more interested in securing leadership positions than in uniting behind a common objective.
Although opposition parties continue to discuss possible coalition arrangements, he said, genuine unity would require their leaders to set aside personal ambitions and make concessions in the national interest.
“I don’t want him to continue because he will mortgage our country,” Mr. Gibba said, referring to President Barrow. “The likelihood is about the opposition: How do we unite the front to make sure change occurs?”
Mr. Gibba said responsibility for political change did not rest solely with opposition parties. Gambian voters, he added, had demonstrated in 2016 that they could remove an incumbent government if they united behind that goal.
“It’s not only the opposition but the Gambian people,” he said. “If they want change, they will do it. They did that in 2016. What is stopping them from making it happen?”
Mr. Gibba identified competition for leadership as the principal obstacle confronting the opposition. He predicted that the negotiations would collapse unless party leaders changed their approach and placed their shared political objective above individual aspirations.
“The problem now is everybody is hungry for power; that is the real fact,” he said. “Everybody wants to be a leader.”
Despite the continuing negotiations, Mr. Gibba said he saw little evidence that opposition leaders were prepared to allow one another to take the lead.
“I know the coalition talks will end up disintegrating,” he said. “I don’t see the reality where leaders are ready to give a chance to each other, because if you want change, you have to compromise and give a chance to each other.”
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