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By Kemo Kanyi
Mr. Biran Gai, a political scientist, has observed that the recently conducted by-election victory for the ruling National People’s Party as a pace setter which can be replicated.
Mr. Gai, political science lecturer at the University of The Gambia, was quick to warn that oppositions must acknowledge the influence of the National People’s Party (NPP) if they wish to prevent its replica in the coming national election.
Speaking with The Voice newspaper on Wednesday, Mr. Gai asserts that the by-election victory for NPP tells a lot in terms of where the dominance lies in Gambian politics nowadays. “I think this is a great win for the National People’s Party, but also a loss for the United Democratic Party and for opposition political parties in the Gambia in general,” he outlined. He stresses that the dynamic says a lot about interesting times ahead of the 2026 presidential election, as it has been manifested in both Bantanjang and Kaiaf wards, respectively.
He observes that grassroots politicians and voters are very keen and interested in constituency seats, making it a very important aspect of Gambia’s democratic development. It is a means by which the incumbent and opposition tested their powers politically or tested their support base ahead of presidential elections.
“It could be a replica that NPP could easily win the election. Therefore, what it ought to tell opposition political parties is for them to come together and recognise the might of NPP as the party in power, the incumbent political party, and the party that has access to State and their own resources,” he emphasized.
He opines that oppositions must strategize to see how best they can strengthen grassroots political campaigns more by engaging those at the grassroots level, communicating their messages with clarity, if they want to win elections.
Mr. Gai added that another dimension that could be learned from the by-elections was that only a few political parties participated in it, and they were likely going to be those that were also going to determine the national election ahead of 2026.
He says it is important to understand the political dynamics in the Gambia ahead of the 2026 elections and see what opposition political parties and the incumbent can learn from the result for improvement.
