A consortium of opposition political parties in The Gambia on Tuesday launched a new coalition-building initiative aimed at unifying opposition forces ahead of the 2026 presidential election.
The initiative, unveiled on the 29th anniversary of the country’s return to constitutional rule, is being convened and facilitated by the APEX Initiative (APEX), a group of Gambian volunteers who describe themselves as politically impartial.
According to a statement issued by the group, the project seeks to bring together opposition political parties, movements and independent political actors around a single objective: building a credible and unified alternative to the incumbent administration in the 2026 polls.
The opposition leaders said Gambians at home and in the diaspora have consistently expressed concern that divisions within the opposition have weakened democratic competition and hindered meaningful political change.
They pointed to rising living costs, declining public trust in state institutions, growing insecurity and stalled post-2016 reforms as key challenges confronting the country.
The statement also noted increasing political tension and growing public demand for national leadership that is effective, transparent, accountable and focused on the national interest.
While acknowledging that no single party or individual has all the solutions, the opposition groups stressed the need for collective action, saying the scale of nation-building required cannot be shouldered by one political actor alone.
APEX, acting as an impartial broker, said it is providing a structured platform for dialogue and negotiations among opposition stakeholders committed to democratic change and meaningful reform.
Discussions are currently ongoing and are focusing on the formation of a unified opposition front, principles to guide cooperation, the selection of a flag bearer, the development of a shared governance framework, and ways to avoid pitfalls that undermined previous coalition efforts.
