The five-day mission will engage key electoral and political stakeholders, including the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), political actors and citizen observers, to assess the country’s electoral environment and gather perspectives on preparations for the upcoming presidential polls.
According to the NDI, the delegation will conclude its visit with a public statement outlining its preliminary findings and recommendations.
The delegation will be co-led by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Professor Attahiru Jega, former Chairperson of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission.
Other members of the delegation include Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, NDI Senior Associate for Africa and Special Advisor to the President, and Dr. Sophia Moestrup, Deputy Director for Central and West Africa, alongside other regional and electoral experts.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield described the 2026 election as a critical moment in The Gambia’s democratic development, noting that many Gambians expect all electoral stakeholders to work toward consolidating the country’s democratic gains.
“The 2026 election will be pivotal in The Gambia’s democratic trajectory,” she said, stressing the importance of stakeholders ensuring that the election further strengthens the country’s democratic progress.
She added that The Gambia is now regarded as one of Africa’s more stable democracies, making the credibility and conduct of the forthcoming election particularly significant.
Professor Jega said transparent, inclusive and peaceful elections would be essential to strengthening citizens’ confidence in government and political leadership.
“With this pre-election assessment mission, we aim to offer actionable recommendations that bolster the conduct of the polls and further the democratic development of The Gambia,” he said.
For Dr. Fomunyoh, the mission presents an opportunity for NDI to engage directly with Gambian stakeholders and contribute to efforts aimed at ensuring that the presidential election reflects the aspirations of citizens.
“NDI is proud to again stand with the people of The Gambia as they work to safeguard elections and other pillars of democratic governance,” he said.
The mission comes as the country moves closer to the December presidential election, which is expected to attract significant attention from domestic and international observers.
NDI said its engagement will be conducted in accordance with Gambian laws and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, adopted at the United Nations in 2005 and endorsed by 65 organisations, including the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The institute emphasised that its assessment will be conducted on a strictly impartial and nonpartisan basis, with the delegation not interfering in the country’s electoral process.
Over the past four decades, NDI has conducted more than 250 international election observation missions across 70 countries worldwide.
The organisation’s pre-election assessment mission to The Gambia is being supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED
