Explainer: How candidates will be nominated for The Gambia’s 2026 presidential election

The Gambia is heading towards its presidential election on December 5, 2026, with political parties and presidential hopefuls preparing to formally enter the race.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has set November 3 to 14, 2026 as the period for the nomination of presidential candidates and correction of nomination papers, according to its published electoral calendar. The campaign period is scheduled to run from November 16 to December 3, followed by a cooling-off day on December 4.

But what happens during nomination? Who can contest? What must candidates submit? How much does it cost? And what happens if a nomination is rejected?

Here is what voters need to know.

What is nomination?

Nomination is the formal process through which a person seeking the presidency submits the required documents and evidence to the IEC to become an eligible candidate.

Under Section 38 of the Elections Act, 2025, anyone seeking election to the presidency must be nominated in accordance with the procedures set out in the Act and must meet the qualifications for the office under the 1997 Constitution, the Elections Act and any other applicable law.

The IEC is responsible for conducting the nomination process and preparing the election timetable.

What does a presidential candidate need?

The Elections Act sets out several requirements for presidential candidates.

A candidate must be nominated by at least 5,000 registered voters, with at least 2,000 voters drawn from each Administrative Area.

The candidate must provide the telephone contact details of all voters nominating them and subscribe to the nomination declaration.

They must also submit:

• a sworn declaration of assets; and
• a certificate from the revenue authority confirming that all taxes due have been paid.

Nomination papers are obtained free of charge from the appropriate Returning Officer. A person cannot subscribe to more than one nomination paper for the same office. If they do, only the first nomination paper delivered is valid.

How much does it cost to contest?

Under Section 42 of the Elections Act, 2025, a presidential candidate must deposit D1 million when the nomination paper is delivered. The deposit must be paid into an account designated by the IEC, with proof of payment provided.

The money is not automatically forfeited. It is returned if the nomination is rejected, the candidate withdraws in accordance with the law, there is no contested election, or, in a contested presidential election, the candidate receives at least 40 percent of the valid votes cast.

What happens when a candidate submits the papers?

The Returning Officer examines the nomination papers and accompanying documents.If the legal requirements have been met, the nomination is accepted and the person is formally deemed nominated.

If the papers or accompanying documents do not meet the requirements, the Returning Officer can reject the nomination.

However, rejection does not necessarily end a candidate’s bid. The Act allows a fresh nomination paper to be delivered before nominations close, subject to the applicable requirements and deadlines.

Can someone challenge a candidate’s nomination?

Yes.

Under Section 48, a registered voter can object to a nomination on specified grounds, including where:

• the candidate’s description is insufficient to identify them;
• the nomination paper does not comply with the law or was not delivered in accordance with the Act; or
• it appears from the nomination papers that the candidate is not legally capable of being elected.

An objection must be made in writing to the Returning Officer between 8am and 4pm. Where an objection is filed, the nomination paper may be corrected until 5pm on the day of nomination.

A Returning Officer’s decision on a nomination or objection can be appealed to the IEC within two days.

What happens after nominations?

The nomination process includes scrutiny, objections and corrections before the final list of candidates is established.

The Returning Officer must publish the names and details of registered candidates, the names and details of those who nominated them, and the approved representative symbol for each candidate.

Candidates must also provide a digital photograph and the colour and symbol they will use in the election. The Act says these symbols must not have religious, sectional or regional significance.

Can a candidate withdraw?

Yes.

A candidate can withdraw by submitting written notice to the Returning Officer no later than 11 days before election day. Based on the IEC’s current calendar, the final withdrawal deadline is November 24, 2026.

Where a candidate nominated under a political party withdraws, the party may, under the Act, field another candidate within the prescribed period, subject to the nomination requirements.

Which parties have formed alliances?

The nomination period comes as political parties and movements continue to negotiate alliances ahead of the election.

The IEC currently lists 24 registered political parties. However, registration does not necessarily mean a party will field its own presidential candidate. Parties may instead join a coalition or alliance and support a candidate nominated by another party or political grouping.

• NPP-led alliance

President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party is seeking another term through a coalition that has been reshaped since the 2021 election. The NPP’s current alliance includes the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), which formally joined the NPP-led coalition in July 2026.

The alliance already included the APRC, NRP, GPDP, GMC and Citizens’ Alliance (CA). The NPP has described its coalition as comprising nine parties, although the composition of the bloc has changed during the political negotiations. The final membership should therefore be checked against the coalition agreements and IEC records when nominations take place.

• Gambia First Coalition

The United Democratic Party (UDP) has formed the Gambia First Coalition with six other political organisations:

• UDP
• Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD)
• Gambia Alliance for National Unity (GANU)
• Gambia People’s Advancement Party (GPAP)
• People’s Progressive Party (PPP)
• Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC)
• Golden Era Party (GEP)

Five of the seven are registered political parties, while CCC and GEP are political movements. UDP leader Ousainou Darboe is the coalition’s presidential candidate.

• Coalition 2026 / NUP-UNITE alliance

Another opposition grouping has emerged around Coalition 2026, with Kanifing Mayor and UNITE leader Talib Ahmed Bensouda selected as its presidential standard-bearer. Bensouda emerged after a selection process involving several aspirants, including Essa Bokar Sey and Professor Sidat Yaffa.

The coalition subsequently moved to formalise an alliance between UNITE and the National Unity Party (NUP), publicly launched in September.

Coalition 2026 initially involved a wider group of political parties and movements. Several registered parties later withdrew amid disagreements over whether the coalition should be party-led or candidate-led. The GDC subsequently joined the NPP-led alliance, while the UDP pursued the separate Gambia First Coalition.

The opposition is therefore entering the 2026 election through several competing groupings rather than a single unified coalition.

Why do the alliances matter?

Coalition politics has played an important role in recent Gambian presidential elections. In 2016, seven opposition parties backed Adama Barrow as a coalition candidate and defeated Yahya Jammeh. In 2021, however, opposition coalition talks broke down, while Barrow contested under the NPP-led alliance.

The 2026 election again shows parties seeking to consolidate their support through competing alliances.

The nomination process will reveal which of those political agreements translate into formal presidential candidacies and which candidates ultimately make it onto the ballot.

What will the nomination process determine?

The nomination period will determine which of the political declarations and coalition arrangements made in the run-up to the 2026 election translate into formal presidential candidacies.

While parties may announce their support for particular candidates or enter into coalition agreements, these political decisions do not by themselves place a candidate on the ballot. Candidates must formally submit their nomination papers to the IEC and meet the legal requirements set out in the Elections Act.

The nomination process will therefore clarify the final shape of the presidential race. It will establish which candidates have formally submitted their papers, whether their nominations meet the legal requirements, and whether any objections are raised by registered voters. Candidates may also withdraw during the process.

Coalition arrangements could also shift before nominations close, meaning a party that initially announces support for one candidate could ultimately back another or submit no candidate of its own.

After the nomination, objection and withdrawal processes are completed, the IEC will publish the particulars of the candidates who remain formally registered to contest the election. This will provide voters with the official list of candidates who will appear on the December 5 ballot.

What happens after nomination?

The nomination process is the stage at which the political negotiations, declarations and coalition arrangements of 2026 begin to translate into the formal presidential race. Not every candidate who declares an intention to run, or every party that announces its support for a candidate, will necessarily appear on the ballot.

The nomination process is the stage at which the political negotiations, declarations and coalition arrangements of 2026 begin to translate into the formal presidential race. Not every candidate who declares an intention to run, or every party that announces its support for a candidate, will necessarily appear on the ballot.