Opposition Coalition Suffers Another Blow as Senior Mediator Quits

The opposition’s much-hyped Coalition-2026 project appears to be unravelling at an alarming pace, with another major setback following the resignation of Coalition Mediation Committee (CMC) Vice Chairperson Momodou Satou Dibba.

Dibba’s resignation comes on the heels of the withdrawal of the United Democratic Party (UDP) from the coalition negotiations, dealing yet another blow to efforts aimed at forging a united opposition ahead of the 2026 presidential election.

The UDP, widely regarded as The Gambia’s largest opposition party, pulled out of the talks after objecting to the coalition’s preference for a candidate-led model over a party-led arrangement. The party argued that smaller political parties and other stakeholders were pushing for a process that failed to recognise the electoral strength, nationwide organisational presence, and past performance of participating parties.

According to the UDP, any genuine coalition should be built around the country’s largest opposition party, with other political parties joining under its leadership rather than pursuing what it considers an unrealistic candidate-led formula.

Now, Dibba’s resignation appears to lend further weight to concerns that the coalition process has become increasingly divided over its direction. In his resignation letter, the retired United Nations Senior Governance and Political Affairs Official said he could no longer participate in a process that uses a “one entity, one vote” decision-making mechanism, arguing that such an approach ignores the relative size and political influence of the parties involved.

Ironically, a coalition established to unite the opposition now seems increasingly occupied by disagreements over who should lead, how decisions should be made, and whose political weight matters most.

For supporters of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), the unfolding developments are unlikely to come as a surprise. They may argue that if the opposition cannot agree on the rules for choosing a leader, convincing Gambians that it can collectively govern the country will be an even greater challenge.

With the UDP out of the talks and a senior mediator now walking away from the process, Coalition-2026 faces mounting questions about whether it can remain politically relevant or whether its promise of opposition unity is gradually fading into political wishful thinking.