By Fatou Sillah
The Minister of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, has suggested that the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) should prioritize retaining its existing electoral support rather than focusing on defeating the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) in the 2026 presidential election.
Speaking on the country’s evolving political landscape, Dr. Ceesay argued that the UDP’s immediate political challenge is to maintain the level of support it secured in the last election, warning that a decline in its vote share would be politically damaging.
“For UDP, I would advise them not to even attempt to win the elections. That should not be their focus. They had 27 percent in the last elections. They should make sure they don’t go below that. If they go below that, it’s very demoralizing,” he said.
The minister contended that the opposition party should devote its resources to consolidating its voter base rather than concentrating on unseating the NPP.
Dr. Ceesay also expressed skepticism about ongoing efforts by opposition parties to form a coalition ahead of the December 2026 presidential election, arguing that fundamental disagreements over the structure of such an alliance remain unresolved.
According to him, the principal obstacle lies in differing views over whether any coalition should be led by a political party or by an agreed presidential candidate.
“The UDP has publicly shown they’re not interested in a candidate-led coalition. They are in favor of a party-led coalition. Therefore, there is a huge point of divergence, which is very fundamental,” he said.
He suggested that the party’s position could make it difficult to reach a consensus with other opposition groups advocating for a candidate-led alliance.
Dr. Ceesay further asserted that if an opposition coalition eventually materializes, the UDP is unlikely to be part of it because of its stated preference for a party-led arrangement.
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