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Written by: Dawda Baldeh
Former Vice President Fatoumata Jallow Tambajang has withdrawn her ambition to contest The Gambia’s December 2026 presidential election, saying she will instead focus on helping unite the opposition to strengthen its chances of defeating the incumbent government.
Tambajang announced her decision during a coalition meeting last week, informing opposition leaders that she was stepping aside from the presidential race to dedicate her efforts to facilitating the coalition-building process.
Explaining her decision, she said the national interest outweighed personal political ambition.
“My desire to see a better Gambia for the next generation is far greater than any personal ambition. Today, our country needs unity more than it needs individual aspirations.
I believe I can best serve The Gambia by helping to build the coalition that our people deserve,” she said.
Tambajang, one of the principal architects of the historic Coalition 2016 that ended former President Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year rule, said she will now serve as a mediator and facilitator in the ongoing opposition coalition talks.
She urged opposition parties to negotiate in good faith, warning that division could hand victory to the ruling party.
“No single party can win this election alone. If we enter the December polls divided, we risk placing The Gambia back on the same path that we fought so hard to leave behind just ten years ago,” she warned.
Tambajang said her new role is to help create the conditions for a united opposition capable of restoring public confidence in the country’s democracy.
She also stressed that political leadership should never be treated as an entitlement.
“No politician should ever believe that public office is their birthright.
Power should rotate democratically, and when a government has failed to provide opportunities for its people and protect its citizens, it is the responsibility of the electorate to vote that government out of office,” she said.
Tambajang reaffirmed her commitment to serving as an impartial facilitator, expressing confidence that unity and dialogue remain the opposition’s best path to democratic change.
