By Yankuba Jallow
Honourable Halifa Sallah, one of the coordinators of the Team Gambia Grand Coalition, said the group is preparing to contest the December 2026 presidential election and wants to “give Gambia a new start with clean hands”.
Speaking at a press conference held at a local hotel on Monday, 19 October 2026, Sallah said the coalition was formed after six months of consultations among political parties and movements.
“The purpose of this press conference is simple. We engaged in consultation for six months and came to you to announce an agreement to establish Team Gambia Grand Coalition 2026,” he said.
“Everything that comes into being must have a purpose. And we told you that the purpose of establishing this coalition is to give Gambia back to her people. We went back to start building what must serve as a tool to make that possible.”
Sallah said people from different professions and communities had worked in committees to identify national challenges and propose ways to address them.
“For months now, people of substance from all walks of life, workers, farmers, women, youth, lawyers, doctors, technicians of all sorts agreed to constitute committees that would look at all the challenges of our society and articulate means of addressing them,” he said.
“Many hours have been spent, precious time devoted to the building of this tool that will come in the service of the Gambian people to put an end to their poverty and powerlessness.”
He said working together had helped coalition members build trust and agree on a shared vision.
“We’ve learned to trust each other. We’ve learned to emulate each other. And we have learned to know what commitment can do if that commitment is guided by clarity and vision. So we have articulated a vision for Team Gambia Grand Coalition 2026.”
Sallah said the coalition had developed a mission and promises that its campaign committee would present across the country. He called on the media to share them with the public.
“That is what we have for the nation, by which we could also be judged,” he said.
He said no individual had the authority to dictate how the country should be governed.
“We, each of us, are convinced that none of us has any authority to dictate how this country is governed. That we can only govern by coming together and then build the type of social cohesion that will enable us to build the country.”
Sallah said returning power to the people would require more than a public declaration.
“Declaring, simply declaring, that Gambia will be handed back to the people will not happen automatically. It will not automatically happen. Something has to happen. The very Gambian people must force, put trust in those who will be handed through the ballot box.”
He said presidential aspirants in the coalition would form a forum and travel across the country to seek public support.
“They will traverse the length and breadth of this country to indicate to the Gambian people why we deserve to be trusted. To be handed over their power to the ballot box. So that that power will be handed back to them through policies and practises.”
Sallah said the coalition had agreed to work on a manifesto and extend the campaign committee’s work from the 22nd to the 28th.
“That is why we are here today to announce that this Team Gambia Grand Coalition 2026 intends to give Gambia a new start with clean hands. Give Gambia a new start with clean hands.”
He said coalition members would travel to meet voters and explain their plans.
“We intend to give Gambia a new start with clean hands.”
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