Gibba Pledges to Facilitate Jammeh’s Return if No To Alliance Wins December Election

By Fatou Sillah

Almameh Gibba, the National Assembly Member for Foni Kansala and presidential candidate of the No To Alliance Movement, has pledged to facilitate the return of former President Yahya Jammeh to The Gambia if his movement wins the December 5 presidential election.

Speaking in an interview with West Coast, Mr. Gibba said Mr. Jammeh, who has lived in exile since relinquishing power in January 2017, would be a central consideration for a No To Alliance administration.

“When we win elections naturally, the person who is the main player—that is him—will be solely considered. It’s not a matter of whether it would happen or not,” he said.

Mr. Gibba maintained that the former president continues to command significant political support despite nearly a decade outside the country. He pointed to the movement’s recent political rally as evidence of Mr. Jammeh’s enduring influence among his supporters.

He also traced the origins of the No To Alliance Movement to internal disagreements within the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), the former ruling party, over its ownership and political direction.

The prospect of Mr. Jammeh’s return remains contentious, particularly among victims of human rights abuses committed during his 22-year rule.

Asked how a No To Alliance government would address the concerns of those victims, Mr. Gibba argued that both the former president and individuals who suffered abuses under his administration should be afforded an opportunity to present their accounts.

“We will not say the victims are not victims, but Jammeh himself also is a victim,” he said.

Mr. Gibba contended that Mr. Jammeh had not been given an adequate opportunity to respond personally to allegations examined by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), which investigated human rights violations committed during his presidency.

He also called for recognition of the families of soldiers who were killed during Mr. Jammeh’s time in power, arguing that their experiences should form part of any broader discussion about justice and reconciliation.

While acknowledging the suffering of victims, Mr. Gibba insisted that any future process should uphold their rights while also allowing the former president to respond to accusations against him.

His remarks place Mr. Jammeh’s potential return at the center of the No To Alliance Movement’s electoral agenda, reviving questions about how a future administration would reconcile the former president’s political ambitions and those of his supporters with demands for accountability over abuses committed during his rule.