Fatou Jaw Manneh Says UDP Should Back New Candidate in Opposition Coalition

By Fatou Sillah

Presidential aspirant Fatou Jaw Manneh has called on the United Democratic Party to join forces with other opposition groups ahead of the 2026 presidential election but said the party should be prepared to support a new candidate rather than insist on leading any coalition.

Speaking in an interview with Star TV, Manneh said she favored a broad opposition alliance that includes the UDP but argued that the question of leadership should not stand in the way of unity.

“I wanted all of them to join together, including the UDP, but their leadership this time—I am not interested in that,” she said.

Manneh pointed to a series of high-profile departures from the UDP over the years, including President Adama Barrow, Kanifing Municipal Council Mayor Talib Bensouda and lawyer Lamin J. Darboe, arguing that the party has experienced significant internal divisions.

She also questioned the strength of the UDP’s current support base, suggesting that perceptions of the party’s popularity may exceed its actual electoral strength.

“Their propaganda is what is strong, but they don’t have people,” she said.

Manneh argued that opposition parties should be willing to put aside individual and party ambitions and rally behind a candidate they believe has the best chance of winning.

Without naming UDP leader Ousainou Darboe directly in those remarks, she also questioned whether a politician who has contested presidential elections for many years without winning should continue seeking the presidency, saying the opposition should consider giving another candidate an opportunity.

Despite her criticism, Manneh acknowledged that the UDP has knowledgeable and committed members who could play an important role in a broader opposition alliance. But she maintained that the party should be willing to support someone outside its current leadership.

She said political loyalty should not prevent opposition parties from considering new leadership or from treating one another as equals in coalition negotiations.

“UDP is not a religion to us,” Manneh said. “It is just like any other party.”