By Arret Jatta
President Adama Barrow and his National People’s Party (NPP) were on the moon yesterday night as they rolled the red carpet for his arch rival of two decades Mamma Kandeh and his Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC). The two parties formalised a political alliance with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the State House, amid pump and pageantry.
Kandeh has been a thorn in the flesh for the president who is not comfortable to have shared a home- constituency with an opposition leader. He had constantly refused to accept suggestions to join Barrow despite many attempts to grab him, notably in 2025, when a deal collapsed in the last minute.
With a crucial election at the corner, Kandeh’s arrival is seen as a symbolic if not a significant boost for the governing NPP.
However, his long standing profile as a strong opposition voice on key national matters would now be almost certainly missed as adjust to his new political direction. There are suggestions that the charismatic Kandeh would aspire to be central in key decisions in the alliance risking possible confrontations with already influential members of the alliance. In any case, Kandeh has taken a major decision in his political career. Already, several of his senior executive members have expressed opposition to the alliance and quit the party.
Yesterday, he started the march to the NPP alliance with convoy of supporters from his traditional base at The Baobab Hotel to team up with supporters of the NPP as they enter State House.
Speaking at the welcoming ceremony, NPP Deputy Spokesperson Seedy Njie said the alliance was the result of years of discussions in search of common ground and mutual interest between the two parties.
Njie further revealed that the plan to have Kandeh and Barrow in one camp has been in motion since 2016, but circumstances at the time did not allow the partnership. He said renewed discussions began last year after a committee was established with the approval of President Adama Barrow, eventually leading to the agreement.
The alliance was also welcomed by NPP supporters at the ceremony. Momodou Sabally, the NPP youth leader described the agreement as a major political boost for the ruling party, stating that NPP has already won the election.
Sabally noted that Kandeh secured more than 100,000 votes in the last presidential election, adding that the GDC leader’s support would significantly enhance the NPP’s political strength ahead of future elections.