Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The National Unity Party (NUP) has moved to dismiss growing speculation about the future of its alliance with the UNITE party, insisting that the partnership remains intact as political parties and movements continue to realign ahead of The Gambia’s December 5 presidential election.
In a statement issued on Monday, NUP spokesperson Saidina Abubacarr Jarjou said the alliance was founded on more than electoral calculations and would withstand the changing political environment.
“I have taken note of a series of online commentaries, with some questioning the longevity of the UNITE-NUP Alliance,” Jarjou said. “Let me make this unequivocally clear; this alliance is not built on convenience.”
He said the partnership was based on “mutual trust, shared commitment, mutual respect, and unwavering patriotism to The Gambia and its people,” adding that its commitment to providing voters with what he described as a “credible, competent, and accountable alternative” remained unchanged.
Jarjou’s statement comes at a time when the opposition landscape has become increasingly fluid, with alliances being formed, reshaped, and, in some cases, abandoned as parties position themselves for the December election.
The NUP and UNITE formally launched their alliance in September under the broader Coalition 2026 framework, with UNITE leader Talib Ahmed Bensouda emerging as its presidential standard-bearer.
But the road to that alliance has itself reflected the fluidity of the opposition camp. NUP had previously participated in wider coalition-building discussions involving several opposition parties, while UNITE subsequently left the APeX-led coalition-building process. The Patriotic Progressive Alliance also later ended its arrangement with Gambia For All and joined the UNITE-NUP alliance.
The opposition is, meanwhile, divided among several competing formations. The UDP-led Gambia First Coalition brings together the UDP, ADD, GANU, GPAP, PPP, CCC, and GEP, with Ousainou Darboe as its presidential candidate.
On the other side of the political field, President Adama Barrow’s NPP-led coalition has continued to expand. The NPP and GDC have already formed an alliance, while APP-Sobeyaa, led by Essa Mbye Faal, has confirmed that it is holding discussions with political parties and formations, including the NPP, over possible alliances.
The political movement has also produced new fractures. The No-To Alliance Movement was launched after confirming its breakup with the core APRC, while UNITE leader Talib Bensouda has publicly denied reports that his party is considering joining the ruling party.
Against that backdrop, the NUP appears keen to draw a line under speculation that its own partnership with UNITE could unravel.
Jarjou said the alliance would not be defeated by what he called “prejudice and cynicism”, adding that its members remained “focused, united, and resolute” in their political mission.
“Be rest assured, this alliance is here to stay,” he said.
With the presidential election less than three months away, the NUP-UNITE statement underscores the broader contest now taking shape: not only between individual presidential candidates, but also among competing alliances seeking to consolidate political forces before nominations and campaigning formally get underway.
Leave a Reply