Gambia Action Party (GAP) leader Musa Yali Batchilly has strongly rejected Ba Samba Drammeh’s recent endorsement of United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Ousainou Darboe, declaring that Drammeh lacked any authority to act on behalf of the party.
In an audio message, Batchilly insisted that the endorsement does not represent GAP’s position and that Drammeh had already ceased to hold a leadership role within the party.
Batchilly’s statement comes barely 24 hours after Gambia Action Party (GAP) flagbearer Basamba Drammeh said he has withdrawn from the December 5, 2026 presidential election and thrown his support behind United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Ousainou Darboe. He announced the decision less than 12 hours before he was due to submit his nomination papers to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
Speaking to journalists and supporters, Drammeh said his choice stemmed from a shared vision for the country and his conviction that opposition unity offers the best path to tackling The Gambia’s persistent challenges. He expressed gratitude to those who had backed his own presidential bid, noting that they deserved a clear explanation for his decision to step aside.
“He’s a good brother of mine, but I believe he is mistaken in this case, because he has no power; he has nothing without the consent of GAP, especially the leader, who is Servant Musa Batchilly,” Batchilly said in response to Drammeh. He explained that any significant decision requires consultation with the party leadership. “If he wants to do something, he should call and say this is what I want to do. If we agree through the executive level, we consult with him, and we do it.”
Batchilly further claimed that problems had already emerged after Drammeh was selected as flagbearer. “When we selected him, things were not going the way they were supposed to,” he said. He accused Drammeh of steering the party in a different direction without proper consent. He asserted that Drammeh’s tenure as GAP flagbearer had ended well before the endorsement was made public.
According to Batchilly, Drammeh stopped holding a leadership position in GAP on 27 October. Still, the party chose not to disclose the development immediately because of the longstanding relationship between the Batchilly and Drammeh families. “Ba Samba has not been a leader for GAP since the 27th of October, but we kept quiet,” he said.
Batchilly was emphatic that while Drammeh is free to support Darboe personally, the party itself remains unaligned. “I want to make clear to the public that he can, on an individual level, endorse the UDP. But GAP does not endorse UDP. He (Ba Samba) is not the GAP leader,” he declared. He repeated the point for emphasis: “Once again, I want to make it clear that the Gambia Action Party, under the servant leader and Secretary General, which is Musa Yali Batchilly, and all the executives, none of us endorses the UDP.”
In his strongest statement, Batchilly dismissed any claim that Drammeh represents the party. “His endorsement is invalid. He can endorse Ba Ousainu of UDP on an individual level as Ba Samba Drammeh, but not as a GAP leader. He’s not a GAP leader. He has never been a GAP leader, and he will never be a GAP leader.”
One political analyst told TAT that public exchange underscores deepening divisions within GAP following Drammeh’s decision to withdraw from the December 5 presidential race and back the UDP-led alliance. Batchilly said he seeks to clarify that the party leadership has not authorized or endorsed the move.
