Former Vice President Fatoumata Jallow Tambajang has announced she will not contest the December 2026 presidential election, instead committing herself to leading efforts to unite the opposition ahead of the polls.
Tambajang made the announcement during a coalition meeting last week, telling party leaders she would step aside from the race to serve as mediator and facilitator in the coalition-building process.
“My desire to see a better Gambia for the next generation is far greater than any personal ambition,” she said. “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.”
Coalition Experience: Tambajang played a key role in the historic 2016 opposition coalition that ended former President Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year rule. She said her experience in that process would guide her as she works to bring parties together, encourage dialogue, and ensure transparency in coalition negotiations.
“No single party can win this election alone,” she warned. “If we enter the December polls divided, we risk placing The Gambia back on the same path we fought so hard to leave behind just ten years ago.”
Call for Democratic Renewal: Tambajang stressed that political leadership must 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.
She reaffirmed her role as an impartial facilitator, committed to ensuring that all stakeholders have a voice in the coalition process while keeping Gambians’ interests at the center of discussions.
As The Gambia prepares for the December 2026 elections, Tambajang expressed confidence that unity, dialogue, and shared purpose remain the strongest path toward democratic renewal and national progress.
