In a statement Friday, GFA clarified its position after attending the first meeting convened by the Alliance for Democracy and Development. “Our decision to attend that initial meeting was guided by the principle that all sincere efforts to unite the opposition deserve a fair hearing,” the party said.
GFA stressed it is already active in existing frameworks, including APeX and PAC-CSC. “We fully welcome any coalition-building effort that genuinely aims to unite opposition parties… to end the Adama Barrow regime,” the statement read.
But the party warned against fragmentation. “Given the existence of multiple active initiatives, GFA’s firm position is that any new coalition-building effort should focus on consolidating with existing structures rather than creating separate parallel frameworks.”
Within APeX and PAC, GFA said it has “consistently advocated for these initiatives to come together as one unified force.” It urged ADD and other new efforts to “direct energies toward collaborating with existing initiatives rather than reaching out to individual parties to form independent, competing structures.”
“The emergence of multiple coalition initiatives… reflects the deep and widespread desire among Gambians to achieve this goal,” GFA noted. “Nevertheless, coalition-building efforts must not lose sight of their ultimate objective, nor the urgency of the moment.”
The statement comes as opposition parties maneuver 7 months before presidential elections. ADD’s talks, APeX, and PAC-CSC represent three separate tracks seeking to field a joint candidate against President Barrow.
GFA said it remains “steadfast in its commitment to a united, credible opposition.”
“We believe that collective strength, built on shared purpose and coordinated strategy, is the only path to democratic change in The Gambia in December 2026,” the party concluded.
ADD has not yet responded to GFA’s call for consolidation. APeX and PAC-CSC leaders have previously expressed openness to broader talks but no merger has been announced.
