Juwara Predicts NPP Alliance Could Fracture After December Election

By Makutu Manneh

Political analyst Lamin Juwara has predicted that President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party and its political allies could face internal divisions if the president wins the December presidential election.

Speaking on Kerr Fatou, Juwara rejected suggestions that another Barrow victory would spell the end of meaningful opposition politics in The Gambia. Instead, he argued that the country could see a stronger opposition emerge in 2027 as tensions develop within the governing alliance.

“President Barrow and most of his current allies will break away because their alliance is not based on governance,” Juwara said.

He questioned the basis of the agreements between the NPP and the political groups joining forces with President Barrow, saying the public has not been shown what arrangements, if any, exist for governing beyond the election.

According to Juwara, some of the parties and political figures joining the president are primarily entering into electoral alliances rather than agreeing on a common governing agenda.

He said the arrival of new allies could also create friction within the existing coalition, particularly among longtime partners who may view the newcomers as competitors for political influence and government positions.

That competition, Juwara argued, could trigger an internal crisis after the election. He also questioned President Barrow’s ability to manage such disputes within his political coalition.

Juwara pointed to the political realignments that followed the 2021 presidential election, when some of Barrow’s alliances and partnerships shifted after his victory.

He predicted that a similar pattern could emerge in 2027 if Barrow secures another term, with some of the groups currently supporting his re-election eventually breaking ranks and joining or forming opposition movements.