As a party that values evidence-based engagement, the UDP will carefully review the findings of the survey and use its insights to further strengthen our campaign, sharpen our messaging, and deepen our connection with voters across the country.
At the same time, we wish to emphasize an important democratic truth, opinion polls do not determine election outcomes, voters do. Elections are decided at polling stations, by citizens exercising their constitutional right, not by projections or survey results.
Recent history provides clear and instructive examples. In Malawi’s 2020 presidential election, nearly all opinion polls predicted the defeat of opposition leader Dr. Lazarus Chakwera. Yet the people spoke at the ballot box, and he won decisively. Similarly, in Zambia in 2021, opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema secured a landslide victory despite prevailing polls and narratives suggesting otherwise. Across Africa and beyond, political history consistently reminds us that polls can underestimate grassroots momentum, misread public sentiment, or fail to capture late shifts in voter behavior.
The UDP therefore approaches opinion polling with both respect and perspective. We appreciate data, but we place greater confidence in the will of the Gambian people, the strength of democratic participation, and the power of ideas, organization, and hard work.
Our focus remains unchanged, engaging citizens directly, offering credible and practical solutions to national challenges, and earning the trust of voters through integrity, consistency, and service. As December approaches, we are confident that the final verdict will come not from opinion polls, but from the sovereign choice of the Gambian electorate.
UDP Media and Communications Team
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