Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) leader Mama Kandeh has confirmed that his party is entering into an alliance with President Adama Barrow’s ruling National People’s Party (NPP), bringing months of speculation about a possible political rapprochement between the two sides closer to reality.
Kandeh made the confirmation on Wednesday as he departed the Baobab Holiday Resort for State House, where he is expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the NPP.
The agreement will see the GDC and NPP work together and pool their political resources in support of President Barrow’s bid for re-election in the December 2026 presidential election.
‘We are allying, not joining’
Speaking to journalists before leaving for the reported signing ceremony, Kandeh sought to draw a clear distinction between an alliance with the ruling party and a decision to join it.
When a Kerr Fatou reporter asked whether GDC supporters were justified in being angry about the party’s decision to work with the NPP, Kandeh responded, “GDC is not joining NPP; we are allying.”
Asked when the alliance began, Kandeh replied, “Today.”
He stressed that the agreement would not dissolve the GDC or change its identity.
“We remain GDC. Kandeh and GDC remain an entity, which is the GDC,” he said.
The comments appear intended to reassure GDC supporters that the party will retain its political identity even as it enters into a formal cooperation agreement with the ruling party.
Signing delayed by Barrow’s engagements
The Gambia Journal understands that the agreement between Kandeh’s GDC and President Barrow’s NPP was initially expected to be signed last week.
However, the ceremony was reportedly postponed because of the President’s official engagements in The Gambia and preparations for his trip to Sierra Leone, where he attended the 69th Ordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
The expected signing now marks a significant development in the country’s political landscape, less than six months before Gambians go to the polls.
From speculation to political alliance
For more than a year, there have been persistent speculations that Kandeh and Barrow were exploring a closer political relationship.
The two leaders have a shared political connection to Jimara Constituency in the Upper River Region, where both have their roots. Their growing rapprochement has attracted considerable attention as the 2026 elections approach.
Kandeh was among the leading challengers to Barrow in previous presidential contests, making the prospect of the two political forces now working together particularly significant.
The GDC-NPP agreement is also likely to complicate efforts by opposition parties to build a broad coalition capable of mounting a united challenge against Barrow in December.
With Kandeh now confirming an alliance with the ruling party, the political calculations ahead of the 2026 election have shifted considerably, potentially reshaping the alliances and rivalries that will define the campaign.
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