Speaking on the Coffee Time Show, Dr Ceesay questioned whether the opposition parties negotiating alliances ahead of the 2026 presidential election have enough in common to offer voters a credible alternative to the Barrow government.
He said the parties do not share a common ideology, values or political programme, arguing that their biggest point of agreement is their opposition to President Barrow.
“I told you from the onset there is no common principle; no common ideology; no common values; no common programme, nothing,” Dr Ceesay said.
The minister said the opposition’s coalition efforts appeared to be built mainly around removing the president rather than a shared plan for governing the country.
“The only thing they have in common is that there is a driver on the driver’s seat,” he said, referring to President Barrow and the opposition’s campaign to remove him from office.
His remarks come at a time when opposition parties are continuing talks to form alliances ahead of the 2026 election.
Coalition 2026 has faced reported withdrawals, while other efforts are also underway to bring opposition parties together under alternative political arrangements.
But Dr Ceesay questioned whether the coalition-building process has produced a clear political direction for voters.
He challenged the opposition parties to explain what they would do differently if given the opportunity to govern, putting their political programme at the centre of the debate.
The minister’s comments raise a question that opposition parties will have to answer as the 2026 election approaches if removing President Barrow is the common goal, what comes after him?
