Dr. Bai Biran Jagne Says Team Gambia Coalition Can Win 2026 Election

By Fatou Sillah

Dr. Bai Biran Jagne, the PDOIS secretary to the Sovereign Wealth Fund Board, says the Team Gambia Coalition is well positioned to win the 2026 presidential election, arguing that its organizational structure sets it apart from other political alliances in the country.

“Team Gambia Coalition is better than the other coalitions in the country and can win the 2026 presidential election because the way we set it up is unique,” Jagne said.

He said the coalition was built around a structure that differs from the personality-driven model that has traditionally characterized many political parties in The Gambia.

Jagne pointed to the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism, or PDOIS, as an example, saying the party has maintained a system that allows it to function beyond individual leaders. He cited longtime figures including Halifa Sallah, Sidia Jatta and Sam Sarr.

“In The Gambia, parties are usually headed by one individual, and after their departure, the party is destroyed,” he said. “PDOIS is the only party with a system where Halifa Sallah, Sidia Jatta, Sam Sarr and others have been there for 40 years, but even when they retire, the party is still going strong.”

Jagne stressed that Team Gambia is an independent political coalition and is not owned or controlled by PDOIS, although Mr. Sallah and Mr. Jatta are serving as facilitators.

He said the coalition’s political strategy would extend beyond the presidential race to include National Assembly elections.

Jagne also outlined some of the coalition’s priorities should it win power, including adopting the 2020 draft Constitution within its first 18 months in office and undertaking broader institutional reforms.

He said a Team Gambia government would also seek to address irregular migration, the rising cost of living, and persistent problems with the country’s electricity supply.

“There will be institutional reforms,” Jagne said. “When there is a will, there is a way.”