APRC Renews Alliance With Barrow’s NPP, Backs President’s 2026 Re-Election Bid

By Makutu Manneh

The Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction has renewed its political alliance with President Adama Barrow’s governing National People’s Party, extending a partnership that will see the APRC support Mr. Barrow’s re-election bid in the 2026 presidential election.

Fabakary Tombong Jatta, the APRC’s party leader and the speaker of the National Assembly, announced the decision at a news conference, saying it followed nationwide consultations with the party’s structures, supporters, and other stakeholders.

Under the renewed agreement, the APRC will work with the NPP and other alliance partners to campaign for Mr. Barrow, who will be the alliance’s presidential candidate. Mr. Jatta urged APRC members and supporters to coordinate with their partners at all levels, engage communities, and promote the alliance’s message ahead of the elections.

“The APRC will work with our alliance partners towards the victory of our alliance candidate, President Adama Barrow,” Mr. Jatta said.

The decision extends an alliance between two political forces that were once on opposing sides of one of the most consequential political transitions in Gambian history. The APRC governed the country for more than two decades under former President Yahya Jammeh, while Mr. Barrow came to power after defeating Mr. Jammeh in the December 2016 presidential election.

Mr. Jatta said the APRC’s National Executive Committee reviewed the first five years of its alliance with the NPP, assessing what he described as its achievements, experiences, and challenges before deciding to renew the partnership.

He said President Barrow and the NPP leadership had recognized the APRC’s political identity and value as an alliance partner and had continued to engage the party’s leadership on matters concerning their partnership.

Mr. Jatta also credited the alliance period with what he described as progress in democratic governance, the rule of law, and socioeconomic development. He said the Barrow administration had taken steps to improve living standards despite global economic pressures and had made gains in promoting national reconciliation, peace, and stability.

Those assessments represented the APRC leadership’s characterization of the government’s record.

Mr. Jatta acknowledged, however, that the partnership had not been without difficulties, saying APRC members had raised concerns about how aspects of the alliance were being operated and implemented.

“However, no political arrangement is without challenges,” he said. “The APRC militants and supporters also identified challenges in the operation and implementation of the alliance.”

He said the APRC leadership would work with its NPP partners to address those concerns as the alliance prepares for the coming electoral cycle.

The renewed agreement positions the APRC firmly behind Mr. Barrow ahead of the 2026 presidential contest and signals that the party intends to remain part of the governing coalition as political parties intensify preparations for the election.