By Fatou Sillah
The leader of the People’s Alliance Party (PAP), Ebrima Tabora Manneh, has said that opposition parties should not be expected to simply align themselves behind the United Democratic Party (UDP) in ongoing coalition discussions, arguing that a successful alliance must be built on dialogue, compromise, and mutual respect.
In an interview with Kerr Fatou, Mr. Manneh said PAP remains committed to the idea of an opposition coalition ahead of the 2026 presidential election, provided the process of selecting a candidate is transparent, credible, and acceptable to all participating parties.
He said the party is prepared to contest the election independently if necessary but would also support a coalition candidate chosen through what he described as a fair process, regardless of whether the candidate comes from PAP or another political party.
His remarks come amid growing debate over whether smaller opposition parties should rally behind the UDP, widely regarded as the country’s largest opposition party with the most established political structures and electoral support.
Rejecting the notion that other parties should simply follow the UDP’s lead, Mr. Manneh said each political party was founded to advance its own vision and policy ideas.
“If we are supposed to follow the UDP, then there was no need for us to form a party from the start; we will just follow them,” he said. “We know that we have other ideas different from the UDP, and we won’t be able to implement those if we are to join the UDP.”
While acknowledging the UDP’s numerical strength and nationwide political organization, Mr. Manneh argued that coalition politics requires concessions from all sides rather than the dominance of a single party.
He said meaningful political cooperation should be guided by a “give-and-take” approach in which every participating party has the opportunity to contribute its ideas and priorities to a common agenda.
Mr. Manneh described the 2026 election as a pivotal moment for the opposition, saying political parties seeking to challenge the incumbent government must avoid divisions and strategic missteps.
He reiterated PAP’s willingness to support a consensus candidate selected through an open and broadly accepted process, emphasizing that the party’s objective is to contribute to a viable alternative for Gambian voters.
Mr. Manneh also suggested that the UDP could adopt a more inclusive approach during the negotiations by recognizing its electoral strength while actively engaging other opposition parties through consultation and compromise.
He argued that dismissing PAP as a minor political force overlooks what he said is the party’s support base of approximately 40,000 people. Such an approach, he said, risks creating the impression that any future opposition victory would belong solely to the UDP rather than to a broader coalition of political parties working together.
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