By Coordinators Halifa Sallah and Sidia Jatta
Press release – Approved for dissemination by signatories of consent form 8th September, 2026.
On Saturday 29th August, 2026, representatives of political parties, political movements, civil society organisations and prominent concerned citizens from diverse background assembled at Paradise Suites Hotel to validate a report of the coordinators of a six-month consultative exercise, on coalition building presented as the Team Gambia 2026 initiative.
Participants received the report with keen interest, discussed its content with enthusiasm, frankness and sobriety, deliberated on the way forward with sincerity and called for the implementation of its recommendation with a sense of urgency. It was unanimously accepted that a level ground currently does not exist in The Gambia for holding the free, fair and genuine multi-party contest required in delivering the undiluted choice of the people. It was equally acknowledged that the self-perpetuating rule that Coalition 2016 sought to nip in the bud by limiting the tenure of office of its flag-bearer has been given a new leash of life by the total failure or blatant refusal to undertake the paltriest of constitutional reforms to introduce a term limit for the executive since 2016.
It was therefore duly recognised by the stakeholders that in order for the political system of The Gambia to start on a clean slate after the 2026 presidential elections, all Gambians, at home and abroad, who love their country and people and are committed to serve and save them must become resolute in joining hands, to work as a team, to salvage the country from self- perpetuating rule. They should all strive to put in place an inclusive transitional government that would exist only to render the quality services the public deserve and even the ground for electoral contest based on time bound constitutional and institutional reforms, for the common good. It is in this light and spirit that those assembled to review, validate and adopt the report on the Team Gambia 2026 Consultative Initiative unanimously endorsed the recommendation for the convening of a national conference of willing stakeholders on Saturday, 12th September, 2026 to craft an agreement to establish Team Gambia 2026 as a Coalition under section 155 of the Elections Act and further deliberate and approve a time bound work plan and programme for the electoral cycle beginning in 2026.
Once established, Team Gambia 2026 will break into teams such as Team Gambia 2026 Presidential Forum, Team Gambia 2026 National Assembly Forum, Team Gambia 2026 Mayors’, Mayoress’, Chairpersons’ and Councillors’ Forum, Team Gambia 2026 Expert Bank Forum, Team Gambia 2026 Farmers’ Forum, Team Gambia 2026 Workers’ Forum, Team Gambia 2026 Youth Forum, Team Gambia 2026 Women Forum, Team Gambia 2026 Persons With Disability Forum, Team Gambia 2026 Diaspora Forum and Team Gambia 2026 TRRC Victims’ Forum. Such forums will be commissioned and institutionalised to involve each sector of society to articulate and accentuate its demands and urgencies to inform the manifesto and programmes of the coalition for the coming electoral cycle. These bodies and other committees will serve as oversight to ensure advocacy for and implementation of all agreements, policies and programmes.
It has dawned on all participants that only an organised leadership and people can ensure that a coalition or a government exists for them and not for a few. It is our ardent hope that, as we leave the hall to prepare for September 12, all Gambians at home and the diaspora would be seized by this historic initiative, to try for a second time, to bring about change for the common good. Forward with Team Gambia 2026!