By: Alieu Jallow
In a landscape shaped by political ambition and public scrutiny, Gibbie Mballow, the National Assembly Member for Lower Fulladou West, announced his intention to contest against President Adama Barrow in the upcoming 2026 presidential elections as the flag bearer of the National People’s Party (NPP). Mballow made these statements nearly two weeks ago during an interview with Lamin Cham of Kerr Fatou, on the network’s show called The Brunch.
He claims that during the last NPP congress, he contested against President Barrow for the party’s leadership position.
“I contested against the President because I want to be the party leader and secretary-general of the National People’s Party. In fact, during the congress, they told me, ‘Hon. Mballow, you have to negotiate, and if negotiations fail, we vote.’ So, I negotiated with him,” he asserts.
Mballow, a prominent figure in Gambian politics and a vocal critic, outlined that Dembo by Force, Dou Sanyo, Lamin Cham, and Dr. Demba Sabally were the President’s negotiators, attempting to persuade him to drop his candidacy.
“I dropped my candidacy, but His Excellency President Barrow told us, the youth, to hold on to this party. He said, ‘It’s your party,’ meaning that there is no crime in discussing succession,” he adds.
In a twist of events, Mballow expressed his support for lawsuits against journalists accused of making false claims regarding President Barrow’s succession plans. He argued that the journalists published information without proper confirmation.
“The story itself was not true within the NPP domain. We had a national executive meeting, and I asked His Excellency, ‘Are you going to contest in 2026?’ He said to me, ‘Why are you not focused on building the party? Let’s build a party where any candidate we put forward is fit to contest.’ And in that meeting, he confirmed that he will contest in the 2026 presidential elections.”
As the 2026 elections draw nearer, Mballow’s aspirations reflect a broader desire for change within Gambian society, emphasizing his intention to become the nation’s future leader.
“I want to be the President of this country, and I want to contest the presidency through the party congress. Yes! Yes! There is no taboo about trying to provide the right information—credible information,” he outlines.
The Lower Fulladou West NAM denied allegations that the police were acting to further the President’s agenda, stating that the police are addressing mischief. He emphasized that the publication by The Voice Newspaper has caused chaos within the NPP, jeopardizing his ambition to become the party’s flag bearer.
