Lamin J. Darbo submitted his nomination papers to The Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on November 11 as the presidential candidate of Team Gambia Grand Coalition 2026. He seeks to contest the December 5 election as an independent candidate backed by the coalition, rather than on the ticket of his National Unity Party (NUP).
Team Gambia chose Darbo after a selection process that began on October 30. Its executive committee announced him as flagbearer on November 3, after the aspirants failed to agree unanimously on a candidate and the coalition turned to a vote.
His candidacy has exposed a disagreement over where the NUP stands. IEC chairperson Joseph Colley said the commission had received formal notice that the NUP would not use its presidential nomination slot because it had joined Team Gambia. A party statement also confirmed that it would not field Darboe under the NUP ticket.
But NUP spokesperson Saidina Abubacarr Jarjou has disputed the claim that the party itself joined Team Gambia. He said the NUP remains bound by its agreement with the UNITE Party, an opposition alliance, and that Darboe and other executives aligned with Team Gambia in their personal capacities without approval from the NUP’s National Executive Committee. Jarjou also said the committee had not received a formal resignation from Darboe and, to his knowledge, Darbo remained party leader.
Those accounts leave a key distinction unresolved: Darbo is pursuing the presidency with Team Gambia, while the NUP spokesperson says the party’s separate alliance remains in force.
