Darboe Says Gambia First Coalition Has Only Itself to Blame if It Loses December Election

By Makutu Manneh

Ousainu Darboe, the presidential candidate of the Gambia First Coalition and leader of the United Democratic Party, has told members of the alliance that they will have only themselves to blame if they fail to win the December 5 presidential election.

Darboe made the remarks on September 22, 2026, during the signing of an alliance agreement between the UDP and Gambia For All at the UDP Bureau in Manjai.

He told supporters that responsibility for the coalition’s electoral performance did not rest with him alone, but with the collective efforts of its members and others who share its goal of changing the country’s leadership.

“We cannot blame anyone if we fail in 2026. We will blame ourselves,” Darboe said. “I am not the one who is going to win this election for myself.”

Darboe urged members of the coalition to take responsibility for specific regions and villages and ensure that the alliance’s policies and message are effectively communicated to voters across the country.

He described the December election as one of the most defining and consequential in The Gambia’s history, saying the coalition could not afford to squander the opportunity before it.

Darboe also reiterated his pledge to serve a single five-year term if elected, describing his proposed administration as one focused on national renewal. He said the coalition was expanding not only in numbers but also in what he described as the quality of its membership.

“We all have the same purpose and same destination, and that is one Gambia for all of us,” he said. “So let us show the Gambian people that this is the alliance that is prepared, focused and committed to salvaging The Gambia.”

Darboe called on coalition members to remain focused on their campaign and avoid what he described as “frivolous and unedifying debate” on social media.

He said the coalition should instead concentrate on explaining its policies to Gambians and reminding voters of what he said they deserve from their government and what they have lost over the years.

Darboe said the broader responsibility facing the coalition extends beyond the December election, arguing that its members must work toward building a government that future generations of Gambians can be proud to inherit.