Africa-Press – Gambia. Yankuba Darboe, chairman of the Brikama Area Council and an executive member in the opposition United Democratic Party, said he believes President Adama Barrow will lose the 2026 presidential election, arguing that the political establishment is “miscalculating” the mood of the country.
In an interview broadcast Friday on Eye Africa TV, Mr. Darboe described the political climate as “very interesting” and predicted that the upcoming race would deliver “a huge surprise.”
“I do not think Barrow will win the 2026 election,” he said. “I can bet on that. He is not going to win. There is going to be a change.”
Mr. Darboe accused the Barrow administration of assuming it has already secured victory and behaving as if it needs not campaign. “If that is the notion of the ruling party, why are they still politicking?” he asked.
He also questioned the government’s decision to issue national identity cards to Gambians living abroad, suggesting that officials were seeking to expand a pool of supporters who could return to cast ballots in the president’s favor.
Chairman Darboe said he is confident that political change is coming—and that his party hopes to steer it in the United Democratic Party’s direction. He urged Gambians to give the UDP a chance, arguing that its leader, Ousainu Darboe, has already demonstrated presidential experience.
Mr. Darboe asserted that the UDP flag bearer effectively served as president during President Barrow’s foreign trips, overseeing state affairs in his absence. Apart from Mr. Barrow himself, he said, “Among the rest of the contestants, Lawyer Darboe is the one who truly understands what the presidency entails.”
The BAC chairman also painted a bleak picture of the country’s economic landscape, citing a depreciating Dalasi and escalating food prices.
“The economy is literally tanked at the moment. Everything is on the rise. The country is really suffering,” he said.
To reverse the downturn, he argued, The Gambia needs a party with the competence to confront such crises—a capability he said only the United Democratic Party possesses.
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