By Seedy Jobe
Modou Lamin Sima, leader of the newly formed Alliance for Progressive Citizens, formally launched his bid for the 2026 presidential election, arguing that The Gambia has fallen short of its economic potential and is in urgent need of a new direction.
In an interview announcing his candidacy, Sima cast the country’s trajectory over the past nine years as one of stagnation, saying he believes Gambians “expected more—and deserved more.” Job creation, he said, has been elusive. “Job creation is something we need, and it is not happening,” he noted, adding that the economy remains heavily dependent on imports and dominated by foreign-owned interests. “We barely export anything,” he said. “Business activities are very dull in this country right now.”
Sima, who previously served as Ambassador-at-Large for Business and Investment, argued that The Gambia has failed to capitalize on its own advantages, including a youthful population—78 percent under 35—its fertile land, freshwater resources, the River Gambia, and the Atlantic coastline. Yet the country continues to import basic staples such as rice, vegetable oil, chicken, potatoes, and onions. “This small country still cannot feed itself,” he said.
Casting himself as a break from “politics as usual,” Sima said his campaign would focus on tangible, measurable improvements rather than political rhetoric. “We are not politicians as usual,” he said. “We want the reality,” urging voters to support what he described as a results-driven agenda aimed at “moving the country forward.”
Entering a presidential field already crowded by aspirants, Sima’s campaign will vie for attention in a political climate charged with economic discontent.