By Fatou Sillah
Dr. Ousman Gajigo, a senior member of the Gambia For All (GFA), said he supports political change in The Gambia but would prefer the opposition to field a presidential candidate other than United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Ousainu Darboe in the 2026 election.
Speaking in an interview with Eye Africa TV, Dr. Gajigo said he voted for Mr. Darboe in the 2021 presidential election but believes the opposition should present a different standard-bearer next year.
“I definitely want change,” Dr. Gajigo said. “In 2021, I voted for Ousainou Darboe of the UDP, so I would rather see change than have Adama Barrow become further entrenched in power. That would bring significant harm to the country. But I would also prefer a different candidate in 2026 other than Ousainou Darboe.”
Dr. Gajigo warned that persistent tensions between the UDP and UNITE risk undermining the broader opposition’s chances of mounting an effective challenge to President Barrow and the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).
“Given the history between UNITE and UDP, that tension is going to continue,” he said. “I wish it were going to stop, but that is not helping the opposition. The opposition, even if they are in different parties, they should not be attacking each other.”
Instead, he argued, opposition parties should concentrate on their shared objective of offering voters an alternative government rather than becoming consumed by internal rivalries.
Dr. Gajigo also weighed in on the decision by Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) leader Mama Kandeh to align with President Barrow’s NPP, describing it as politically significant but unlikely to dramatically reshape the electoral landscape.
He argued that many GDC supporters who favored President Barrow had already gravitated toward the NPP, while those committed to remaining in the opposition were unlikely to follow Mr. Kandeh into the governing alliance.
Rather than strengthening the NPP outright, Dr. Gajigo suggested that the alliance could generate internal competition over influence and political appointments as different factions seek to assert themselves within the ruling coalition.
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