By Kemo Kanyi
Essa Mbaye Faal, leader of the APP-Sobeya Movement, has said his group will not accept a party-led coalition as opposition parties continue negotiations ahead of the 2026 presidential election.
Faal made the remarks during a recent appearance on Kerr Fatou, amid ongoing talks among opposition parties seeking to form a broad alliance to challenge the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) in the upcoming polls.
He said APP-Sobeya believed a party-led arrangement would not produce the best electoral outcome.
“APP-Sobeya will not accept a party-led coalition simply because I don’t think that helps produce the best results,” he said.
Faal argued that previous coalition experiences, particularly the 2016 opposition alliance, were effectively party-led in practice, despite being presented differently at the time.
He said the structure of that coalition did not deliver the intended results, adding that lessons from that experience should inform current negotiations.
According to him, the ongoing coalition talks should instead be candidate-led, with participating groups agreeing on a flagbearer capable of unifying and coordinating the alliance in a transparent and credible process.
Faal maintained that leadership selection should be based on consensus among coalition members rather than dominance by any single political party.
Opposition parties are expected to hold a final meeting in the coming months, hosted by the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), where they are anticipated to select a flagbearer to contest against President Adama Barrow in the December 2026 election.