Essa Faal Predicts APP Sobeya Upset in 2026, Promising Healthcare Reform and a Break From Barrow Era

Essa Mbye Faal, Leader APP – Sobeya

By Fatou Sillah

Essa Mbye Faal, the leader and presidential flag bearer of the opposition APP Sobeya, says he is confident his party will win The Gambia’s presidential election scheduled for Dec. 5, 2026, arguing that voters are ready for change and should cast their ballots based on personal judgment rather than party loyalty.

Framing the election as a referendum on leadership and service, Mr. Faal urged Gambians to scrutinize candidates closely before voting. He encouraged citizens to ask whether those seeking office are deserving of their support and capable of delivering tangible benefits.

“If you go to cast your vote on December 5th, 2026, let us all vote for ourselves. Let us ask ourselves, This person that is asking me to vote for them, are they worth my vote, and are they going to work for me?” he said.

Mr. Faal went further, predicting the defeat of President Adama Barrow and a peaceful transfer of power. “If you do that on December 5th, President Barrow is going to be defeated and Essa Faal will take over, and the country will be peaceful and make the country great again,” he said.

Central to his campaign message is a pledge to introduce universal health care within his first year in office, including a national health insurance scheme. Acknowledging the financial burden of healthcare, Mr. Faal argued that a shared contribution model could make the system sustainable.

“Healthcare is very expensive, and the government alone cannot fund it,” he said. “But anywhere I go, I ask Gambians: if they asked you to pay D500 per year for your health insurance, would you pay it? And they say yes.”

He suggested that combining such contributions with government funding would significantly improve the quality and reach of healthcare services across the country. “Just imagine if we all pay D500 per year and that adds to what the government is providing, we should be able to provide better healthcare,” he said.

Mr. Faal also offered a sharp critique of the current administration, citing persistent corruption, rising living costs, unemployment, and a struggling health system.

“Rent is so expensive in this country, livelihood the same thing, and there are no employment opportunities for the youth, and the healthcare system is very poor,” he said.

As the 2026 campaign season begins to take shape, Mr. Faal warned voters against what he described as misleading political promises, particularly around public services.

“Gambians, it is that time again. They will come and make you believe that your hospitals are like hotels, but their kids and spouses are not going to those and their family members, so don’t accept that,” he said.

With a year remaining until Election Day, Mr. Faal’s remarks underscore an emerging opposition strategy focused on governance, cost of living, and social services, as APP Sobeya positions itself as a viable alternative to the Barrow administration.