{"id":92560,"date":"2025-12-23T17:27:30","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T17:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/uncategorized\/udp-is-second-biggest-party-no-other-leader-matches"},"modified":"2025-12-24T04:55:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T04:55:18","slug":"udp-is-second-biggest-party-no-other-leader-matches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/udp-is-second-biggest-party-no-other-leader-matches","title":{"rendered":"UDP is Second Biggest Party no other Leader Matches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. <\/strong><\/span>Pa Njie Girigara, a Gambian politician and retired businessman, has publicly praised the United Democratic Party (UDP), describing it as the second-largest political party in the country and asserting that no opposition leader currently commands a comparable following.<\/b><\/p>\n

In a WhatsApp audio message circulating, Girigara\u2014who clarified that he is not a UDP member\u2014said the party\u2019s nationwide mobilization efforts demonstrate its strength and influence.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you see UDP wanting to lead a coalition, they are right,\u201d he said, arguing that the size and consistency of UDP campaign crowds justify such ambitions. He added that the party has historically placed second in elections and predicted a similar outcome in 2026.<\/p>\n

According to Girigara, political competition in The Gambia has increasingly shifted toward individual popularity, and UDP, backed by strong grassroots support, is well positioned. He commended the party\u2019s loyal supporters, noting that militants contribute their own funds and sponsor mobilization initiatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cGambian politics is now politics of personality. UDP is the one on the ground, so that\u2019s why when they stand up and say they will not go with anyone, no one will lead them, and whoever wants, you rally behind them, they are telling the truth, and that\u2019s a fact,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

Girigara\u2019s remarks come amid heightened speculation surrounding potential opposition alliances ahead of the 2026 presidential election. Analysts say the comments could intensify debate regarding UDP\u2019s role in the opposition landscape.<\/p>\n

He criticized rival parties for relying heavily on social media and media appearances, saying, \u201cThey are only on social media, going to radios and televisions talking to people. It\u2019s as if those parties believe that gathering 200 supporters is significant.\u201d He contrasted this with the UDP\u2019s nationwide tour, which he claimed had attracted overwhelming crowds.<\/p>\n

Girigara concluded that UDP\u2019s capacity for mass mobilization remains unrivaled among opposition parties. \u201cLove it or hate it, UDP occupies the ground apart from NPP, and that\u2019s the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

His comments underscore the significant influence UDP continues to wield and suggest that other opposition parties may need to reassess their strategies, strengthen their grassroots presence, or consider forming alliances if they hope to effectively challenge the party in the 2026 elections.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Gambia<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. Pa Njie Girigara, a Gambian politician and retired businessman, has publicly praised the United Democratic Party (UDP), describing it as the second-largest political party in the country and asserting that no opposition leader currently commands a comparable following. In a WhatsApp audio message circulating, Girigara\u2014who clarified that he is not a UDP […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":92559,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,10],"tags":[260],"class_list":["post-92560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-parties","tag-gambia"],"yoast_head":"\nUDP is Second Biggest Party no other Leader Matches - Gambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Pa Njie Girigara, a Gambian politician and retired businessman, has publicly praised the United Democratic Party (UDP ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/udp-is-second-biggest-party-no-other-leader-matches\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UDP is Second Biggest Party no other Leader Matches\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Pa Njie Girigara, a Gambian politician and retired businessman, has publicly praised the United Democratic Party (UDP ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/udp-is-second-biggest-party-no-other-leader-matches\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gambia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-23T17:27:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-24T04:55:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2025\/12\/sm_1766499826.661589.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/udp-is-second-biggest-party-no-other-leader-matches#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/udp-is-second-biggest-party-no-other-leader-matches\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"UDP is Second Biggest Party no other Leader Matches\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-23T17:27:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-24T04:55:18+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/udp-is-second-biggest-party-no-other-leader-matches\"},\"wordCount\":386,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/udp-is-second-biggest-party-no-other-leader-matches#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2025\/12\/sm_1766499826.661589.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Gambia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"parties\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/udp-is-second-biggest-party-no-other-leader-matches#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/udp-is-second-biggest-party-no-other-leader-matches\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/udp-is-second-biggest-party-no-other-leader-matches\",\"name\":\"UDP is Second Biggest Party no other Leader Matches - 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