Barrow Renews Call for Darboe to Join Alliance, Says He Wants Unopposed Election

By Makutu Manneh

President Adama Barrow on Sunday renewed his appeal to United Democratic Party leader Ousainu Darboe to join his political alliance, saying such a move would allow him to run unopposed in The Gambia’s December presidential election and spare the country the cost of holding the vote.

Mr. Barrow made the remarks at State House during a ceremony formalizing an alliance between his National People’s Party and APP-Sobeyaa, led by Essa Mbye Faal. The agreement brings Mr. Faal, one of Mr. Barrow’s challengers in the 2021 presidential election, into the president’s coalition ahead of the Dec. 5 vote.

The president said Mr. Darboe had yet to respond favorably to his previous overtures but added that he intended to continue reaching out to the longtime opposition leader.

“If you love The Gambia, you should join me, so that I can go unopposed in the upcoming December election,” Mr. Barrow said. “So that the money that would be spent on the election could instead be used to develop the country.”

Mr. Barrow has made similar appeals in recent weeks, publicly urging both Mr. Darboe and Mr. Faal to join his coalition in what he has described as an effort to promote unity and national development. Mr. Faal subsequently accepted the invitation, culminating in Sunday’s signing ceremony.

In making his case, Mr. Barrow pointed to the results of the 2021 presidential election, in which he received about 53 percent of the vote. He noted that Mama Kandeh, who received roughly 12 percent, and Mr. Faal, who received about 3 percent, have since aligned themselves with him.

With those former rivals now part of his coalition, Mr. Barrow argued that the political landscape had shifted substantially in his favor and urged Gambians to consider the implications of the new alliances as the election approaches.

Mr. Darboe, a former political ally of Mr. Barrow who later became one of his principal opponents, remains a challenger in the Dec. 5 presidential contest.