By Seedy Jobe
The Senior Administrative Secretary of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Hon. Alagie S. Darboe, has emphasized that building a coalition, rather than selecting a single candidate, is the key to winning elections in The Gambia.
Speaking on the “Bitilo” program, Hon. Darboe stated, “It’s not a candidate that’s selected, but the coalition that is the winnable factor.”
He highlighted the role of coalitions in determining electoral outcomes, citing President Adama Barrow’s 2016 victory as a case in point.
“Who would have considered him a winnable candidate against former President Yahya Jammeh? What made him winnable was the coalition,” he explained.
Hon. Darboe further stressed that Gambians view coalitions as the most viable means of challenging the ruling party. “People believe that a coalition is the path to removing the ruling party. That is why coalition is the measure of winnability,” he added.
Defending the UDP’s strategy of forming alliances, he said coalitions are a proven formula for electoral success. “If Adama Barrow, with no prior political experience, could lead a coalition to victory, then Ousainou Darboe, with 30 years of political experience, can certainly achieve the same. The key factor is not the individual alone, but the coalition he leads,” he remarked.
Hon. Darboe concluded that any candidate endorsed through a coalition has the potential to win, just as President Adama Barrow did in 2016. “If we recognize that it is the coalition that secures victory, then any candidate we choose can succeed,” he said.
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