By Kemo Kanyi
The deputy national treasurer of The Gambia’s People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Karafa Sambou, has sought to clarify uncertainty surrounding the party’s presidential nomination, stating that Saikou Sawo has not yet been formally confirmed as the party’s flag-bearer for the Dec. 5 presidential election.
Speaking on Kerr Fatou’s weekly public affairs programme The Brunch on Saturday, Mr. Sambou said Mr. Sawo should be regarded as an aspiring candidate rather than the officially endorsed nominee, despite his public introduction at a January press briefing.
Mr. Sambou explained that the party had opened applications for the flag-bearer position, with a deadline set for 7 February 2026, stressing that the selection process remains open to other interested contenders.
“Just because someone is aspiring does not mean others with interest should stop,” he said.
Mr. Sawo had appeared alongside PPP Secretary General Ousman Madikay Faal during the January briefing, where he was introduced as the party’s presidential candidate, prompting speculation that the nomination had already been finalized.
However, Mr. Sambou emphasized that the party’s constitution provides specific procedures for selecting candidates and that no official endorsement has yet been concluded.
He noted that Mr. Sawo recently joined the PPP with his team after reportedly encountering challenges registering his own political organisation and now holds party membership.
While acknowledging that the party’s executive had expressed support for Mr. Sawo, Mr. Sambou insisted that this does not constitute a formal endorsement.
“There is a process, and that is what he is going through,” he said.
Responding to questions about whether the executive’s apparent preference could discourage other aspirants, Mr. Sambou maintained that the process remains open.
“We did not endorse him. Our mandate is to ensure the PPP contests all elections, and it is the job of the executive to make that happen, but that does not close the door for others,” he said.
The People’s Progressive Party, which governed The Gambia under former President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara from 1962 until 1994, remains active in the country’s political landscape, although its influence has declined since losing power more than three decades ago.