Twenty-five hopefuls prepare for Gambian presidential election
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on The Point
Twenty-five hopefuls for the Gambian presidency are expected to submit their candidacies for the 5 December election, including incumbent President Adama Barrow and lawyer Ousainu Darboe. The Independent Electoral Commission has set 3 to 14 November 2026 for submissions and established a timetable for the various candidates, The Point reports.
Twenty-five hopefuls are preparing for The Gambia’s presidential election on 5 December 2026, according to The Point. The Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has set 3 to 14 November as the period for submitting candidacies, allowing contenders to officially present their applications.
Incumbent President Adama Barrow, the National People’s Party (NPP) candidate, lawyer Ousainou Darboe, backed by the Gambia First coalition led by the United Democratic Party (UDP), and Talib Ahmed Bensouda, mayor of Kanifing and candidate of UNITE and Coalition 2026, are among those expected to stand. Bensouda’s eligibility is being debated following the publication of a government white paper on the commission of inquiry into local authorities.
The IEC has allocated submission dates to candidates and parties, with a deadline of 7 November set for UNITE and its partners. Each hopeful must meet the constitutional conditions on citizenship, age and support from registered voters, then pay the required deposit. The commission will publish the final list after checking the applications, before the official start of the campaign.
The nomination period follows the withdrawal of forms by 25 Gambian presidential hopefuls on 22 October. That same day, Bensouda’s coalition pledged to resist his exclusion from the presidential race.
