THE OPPOSITION’S CATCH-22
October 3, 2026
The UDP and UNITE currently belong to separate opposition coalitions, with Ousainou Darboe and Talib Bensouda pursuing their own presidential bids. Calls are now growing for the two camps to find common ground.
But reconciliation immediately raises the question that helped produce the split in the first place: who steps aside?
If Darboe remains the candidate, Bensouda would have to abandon his presidential ambition. If Bensouda leads, Darboe and the UDP would have to accept a different standard-bearer. If neither yields, the opposition remains divided.
That is the Catch-22. The opposition can spend the remaining weeks attacking President Barrow, or it can spend them negotiating among itself over leadership. Doing both effectively becomes increasingly difficult as Election Day approaches.
The debate itself shows that opposition unity remains unresolved—not simply because the parties disagree about President Barrow, but because they have yet to agree on who should lead their alternative.
