Jammeh, who previously stepped aside from a chairmanship contest to support the National People’s Party (NPP) candidate, is now seeking the presidency under a civic platform he has formed, Jamano Civil Defence for Constitutional Democracy, also referred to as the Jamano Democrats. The movement, he says, is driven by the need to restore confidence in the Gambian state and give young people real reasons to build their future at home.
According to Jammeh, irregular migration is not just a youth problem but a symptom of deeper national challenges. He argues that when basic systems fail, young people lose hope and begin to see dangerous journeys abroad as the only option. His answer, he says, lies in rebuilding the foundations of the country so that migration becomes a choice, not a desperate escape.
At the core of his plan are reforms in health, education and agriculture, which he describes as the strongest tools against the backway syndrome. Jammeh believes that a reliable healthcare system, quality education, and a productive agricultural sector can restore dignity, create jobs and reduce the sense of hopelessness that fuels irregular migration.
To fund these reforms, Jammeh is proposing strict austerity measures, including recovery of state assets, audited public accounts and action against unaccounted spending. He maintains that public resources must be redirected from waste to productive investments that benefit communities, especially young people.
His broader agenda also touches on finance and budgeting, local government, trade and commerce, sports, infrastructure and transport, as well as environmental protection. He speaks of a long-term development vision that supports the gradual transformation of villages into towns and towns into cities, creating opportunities across the country rather than concentrating them in a few urban centres.
In the area of education, Jammeh has proposed institutional reforms, including the appointment of a Chancellor for the University of The Gambia, while on information and communication, he supports annual subventions for media houses to strengthen public awareness and accountability.
Central to his message is what he calls a renewed Republican Gambia status, which he believes will reverse the backway trend by making The Gambia a place people want to migrate to, not run away from.
He insists that if Gambians can see clear pathways to education, employment and decent living conditions at home, the risky journeys across deserts and seas will lose their appeal.
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