Mai Hamed Fatty, leader of the Gambia Moral Congress
By Seedy Jobe
Mai Hamed Fatty, leader of the Gambia Moral Congress and the coordinator of the National People’s Party–led alliance, has pushed back against growing criticism of President Adama Barrow’s potential bid for a third term, arguing that the country’s constitution affords the president the right to run again.
Speaking in an interview with Kerr Fatou on Thursday, Fatty said the decision to seek reelection rests solely with President Barrow.
“If President Barrow wants to go for a third term, who is going to stop him?” Fatty said. “Who has that power to stop him, a power that the Constitution guarantees him?”
Fatty insisted that the current constitution does not prohibit Barrow from seeking another term. “It is not about what you want; it is his constitutional right,” he said. “It is his judgment call to say, ‘I want to go, or not to go.’”
He added that the president also has the option of turning to the courts for clarity if any provisions appear ambiguous. “He has the right to go to court and say, ‘What is the provision that stops me?’” Fatty said.
Fatty voiced confidence that the NPP-led coalition will secure victory in the 2026 presidential election, drawing comparisons to Barrow’s 2021 win.
“I will give you one guarantee: the NPP-led coalition is going to win in 2026. If you want to waste your money or energy, go ahead. 2026 is going to be a replay of 2021,” he said.
He said he had toured the country and received reports from party coordinators indicating that Barrow maintains strong support. “If there is an election today, Barrow will win hands down,” he said, adding that he sees little likelihood of that trajectory changing before 2026.
Addressing corruption—a recurring issue raised by civil society and the opposition—Fatty said it does not feature prominently in conversations with citizens. “We went up to the North Bank and came back; not a single person talked about corruption,” he said.
Opposition parties and rights activists have argued that a third-term bid would amount to a violation of Barrow’s 2016 pledge to serve only three years before stepping down. The NPP-led coalition maintains that whatever political promises were made, the constitution remains the ultimate authority—and that it gives Barrow the right to seek another term.