Essa Mbye Faal formally sealed a political alliance with President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party on Sunday, completing one of the most striking realignments of The Gambia’s campaign season less than 10 weeks before the December 5 presidential election.
Speaking in Wolof at the signing ceremony, the APP-Sobeyaa leader described the occasion as “an important day for The Gambia” and said he was speaking from the heart after what he called thorough reflection on the country’s political direction.
Faal said the intense reaction to his decision was proof that he is no minor figure in national politics. He dismissed reports that he had joined the NPP–Grand Alliance because he was broke or had been paid, insisting that no one had given him money. He said APP-Sobeyaa and the ruling alliance jointly funded the event.
After careful consideration, Faal said, he concluded that joining the alliance served the national interest. He reminded Gambians of his record as an international lawyer and prosecutor. He said he was entering the partnership without demands or conditions, ready to serve wherever he was considered most useful.
“I have reached a stage in my life where I can no longer reject an opportunity to serve my country if I believe it would contribute to the greater good,” he said.
Addressing years of criticism of President Barrow, Faal said those attacks were never driven by hatred. He had disagreed with decisions and actions he believed were wrong. He then called for an end to the “unending exchange of insults” in politics, arguing that disagreement is inevitable but must be expressed with respect, patience and discipline.
The political contest, he declared, should now be treated as “game over, dead and buried.” The focus, he said, must shift to national development. Barrow had issued a call for competent Gambians to come forward and serve; Faal said he was answering that call without insisting on a particular post.
In a lighter moment, he joked about the earlier war of words with NPP supporters, saying he was now part of “the winning team” and that his decision would disappoint those who had hoped he would join their side. To supporters who felt betrayed, he said he understood their pain and asked them to accept what he called Allah’s destiny.
“I am sorry you feel I have dashed your hopes,” he said.
President Barrow welcomed Faal and his team into the alliance, thanking Allah for making the moment possible. He singled out Ousainou Bobb and Seedy for their “incredible roles” in facilitating what he called the “marriage,” and thanked all alliance partners for contributing through dialogue.
Barrow pledged that Faal would be treated as an equal partner alongside those in the coalition from the beginning. “The Gambia belongs to Gambians and can only be developed by Gambians,” he said.
The president thanked Faal for answering his invitation, saying the move showed that Gambians were listening and that “the genuine ones are coming.” He advised Faal to ignore the insults that followed the announcement, reminding him that Allah is the best planner and that divine timing is always best.
Few people, Barrow said, could have imagined Faal joining the NPP alliance in 2021. Recalling that year’s election results and the support then associated with the GDC and Faal’s movement, he urged the new ally to hold his head high. He said the decision was rooted in patriotism and honesty.
Barrow also promised to honor agreements reached with all alliance partners and repeated his call for a united front to transform the country.
The pact adds APP-Sobeyaa to a governing coalition that already includes several parties as Barrow seeks a third term. For Faal — once among the president’s sharpest critics and a 2021 presidential candidate — the ceremony marked a public break with opposition politics and a bet that influence now lies inside the ruling camp rather than against it. Whether the alliance delivers the “greater good” he invoked will be tested at the polls on December 5.
