By Haddy Touray
Suwaibou Touray, leader and Secretary-General of the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), has accused President Adama Barrow of using the advantages of incumbency to influence voters ahead of The Gambia’s 2026 presidential election.
Speaking in an interview with Eye Africa TV, Touray said political parties should compete for votes by presenting their policies and programmes to the electorate rather than offering money, food or other forms of assistance that could influence voters’ choices.
“You go to URR now, and you find Adama Barrow there. He’s inducing people, and the law is saying don’t induce people,” Touray said.
He urged political parties to explain their programmes to voters and allow them to make their choices freely “without any pressure, without any intimidation, and without any inducement of any kind.”
Touray also raised concerns over the use of public resources by incumbent governments during election periods, arguing that access to state funds and other advantages of office could give the governing party an unfair advantage over opposition parties.
He specifically referred to an allocation of D50 million to the Office of the President for nationwide tours, questioning whether such expenditure provides President Barrow with an advantage that is not available to opposition candidates.
The PDOIS leader called for a level playing field for all political parties and stronger oversight of the electoral process to ensure that candidates compete under fair conditions.
He also warned about the growing influence of money in politics, saying political parties that accept financial support from individuals or groups with vested interests could become beholden to those interests if they eventually form a government.
Touray argued that the manner in which political parties seek power is closely linked to how they are likely to govern once elected.
He said parties must respect the law and uphold ethical standards throughout the electoral process.
“Because when you do those corrupt things, and you get power, you will be corrupt,” he said. “You are going with that corruption to the government.”
Touray maintained that voters should be allowed to make their political choices without pressure, intimidation or inducement.
He said the credibility of the 2026 presidential election would depend not only on the conduct of voting on election day but also on how political parties and candidates conduct their campaigns in the months leading up to the polls.