The National People’s Party (NPP) and the All Peoples Party–Sobeyaa (APP-Sobeyaa) have entered into a political partnership ahead of The Gambia’s 2026 presidential election, committing to campaign together while pursuing a broad package of governance and institutional reforms if the NPP candidate wins.
The six-page “Memorandum of Political Understanding for National Unity and Reform,” signed on September 27, 2026, establishes APP-Sobeyaa as a partner in an NPP-led alliance for the presidential election. Under the agreement, the NPP will provide the presidential platform and electoral vehicle, while APP-Sobeyaa will support the agreed presidential candidate.
The document states that both parties will coordinate their political, organizational and campaign activities in support of an agreed national platform. However, each party will retain its separate political identity, structures and organizational independence.
Central to the agreement is a National Reform Agenda covering 2027–2031. Among the commitments is pursuing a new Constitution reflecting the aspirations of Gambians, including presidential term limits, institutional checks and balances, stronger public institutions and enhanced democratic accountability.
The parties also pledge to pursue electoral reforms, including diaspora voting where appropriate, and to remove what the agreement describes as unnecessary barriers to political participation.
Other priorities include operationalizing the Anti-Corruption Commission with qualified personnel and institutional independence; implementing outstanding recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission; undertaking security-sector reform; expanding national health insurance coverage; improving agriculture and food security; addressing the cost of living; and reforming the civil service.
A significant provision concerns APP-Sobeyaa’s representation in a future NPP-led government. The memorandum states that, following an NPP victory, APP-Sobeyaa representatives would be allocated government positions. It says the minimum positions are contained in a “Confidential Annex,” which is not included in the six pages provided. The agreement further states that additional positions would be allocated in accordance with the President’s “personal undertaking.”
The memorandum says APP-Sobeyaa’s Secretary General has expressed a wish not to hold a direct government position personally.
To monitor implementation, the parties propose establishing a political coordination mechanism for regular consultation, campaign coordination, monitoring reform commitments, and resolving disagreements. After forming a government, the parties expect to convert their priorities into a National Reform and Delivery Program with specific actions, responsible institutions, deadlines, and measurable targets.
The agreement characterizes the partnership as reciprocal, linking APP-Sobeyaa’s political support to concrete reform commitments by an NPP-led administration.
In its concluding section, the memorandum says the arrangement is intended to go beyond an exchange of electoral support for government positions, with both parties assuming responsibility for delivering the agreed reforms.
