Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, The Gambia) – In a stirring and impassioned address to the nation, political figure and activist Kebba Foon has issued a clarion call for unity among The Gambia’s opposition forces, warning that the country is “drifting toward further decline” unless leaders put aside personal ambition and coalesce into a broad coalition ahead of the 2026 presidential elections.

Declaring that “only a united opposition can save The Gambia,” Foon painted a bleak picture of national hardship, describing a country where economic despair is pushing young people to risk their lives on the perilous “backway” migration route and where women—the backbone of society—continue to suffer under economic marginalization.

“Our homeland is still stuck in a web of failed leadership and broken systems,” Foon stated, laying blame squarely at the feet of President Adama Barrow’s administration. He accused the current regime of presiding over an economy in crisis, widespread youth unemployment, dysfunctional healthcare, rampant corruption, and rising crime.

Foon reminded the nation of the 2016 watershed moment when a united opposition ended Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year dictatorship, calling it “a victory forged by a coalition of ordinary citizens and leaders brave enough to put the nation first.” However, he lamented that the promise of that change has since been squandered.

“The system that allowed tyranny and misrule to thrive remains largely intact,” he said. “Old habits of divisiveness and greed returned as soon as the celebrations ended.”

Foon warned that no single opposition party can unseat the current regime on its own and urged all opposition leaders to reawaken the spirit of 2016. He proposed the formation of a Gambia Grand Opposition Coalition—a broad-based alliance of opposition parties, independents, civil society groups, youth, women, and the diaspora—to mount a united front.

“To the leaders of all opposition parties: put Gambia first and set aside personal ambitions and old grudges,” he appealed. “Whether you lead a big party or a small one…we need each other.”

He also called on ordinary citizens to actively demand unity from political leaders and to reject attempts to divide the electorate along tribal or partisan lines.

“Our nation’s fate depends on your ability to find common ground,” Foon said, stressing that history would not forgive failure. “If you fail to unite, you fail all of us.”

With the 2026 presidential election looming, Foon emphasized the urgency of the moment, saying the coming vote will determine the country’s trajectory for generations. He urged the coalition not only to win power but to usher in a new era of accountable and people-centered governance.

His vision includes a Gambia “where no young man or woman feels compelled to brave the sea for a livelihood” and where dignity, justice, and opportunity are available to all.

“United, we will prevail,” Foon declared. “Together, we will build a Gambia that offers hope and opportunity to all her children. Divided, we will watch our nation continue to drift.”

He ended with an appeal to all Gambians—from Kartong to Koina, from the diaspora to the rural heartlands—to raise a collective voice and reclaim the nation’s destiny.

“In this fight for our nation’s soul, there is no opposition versus ruling party—there is only all of us Gambians versus the poverty, injustice, and hopelessness that threaten our future.”

As Gambia prepares for yet another crucial election, Foon’s call to action now places pressure on opposition leaders to respond to the national demand for unity—or risk prolonging what he describes as “a worsening national crisis.”