Gambia’s President to File for Third Term

THE GAMBIA · ELECTION 2026

The Gambia’s president, Adama Barrow, is due to file papers for a third term on Tuesday 10 November 2026. His National People’s Party (NPP) says he will register at 10:00 a.m. at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), the body that runs the vote.

The presidential election is on Saturday 5 December 2026, and the IEC’s nomination period closes on 14 November. Barrow, who leads the NPP, was first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2021.

For US readers, this is an election in a small West African country that borders Senegal. One candidate also faces a citizenship question that involves the United States, and our nomination schedule tracks the filing dates.

Barrow is the clear favourite in betting markets, but the field is still taking shape. One rival has filed, and his right to run is already contested.

Barrow’s Filing Day Plan

The NPP says supporters will gather at Sting Corner, a junction on the Banjul-Jeshwang highway, from 8:30 a.m. It says it expects more than 100,000 members and supporters from its “Grand Coalition”, an alliance led by the NPP.That number is the party’s own expectation, not a verified count. After filing, the party says a motorcade will run through Greater Banjul to a women’s rally at a site called the Buffer Zone.

Who Has Filed and Who Has Withdrawn

IEC chairman Joseph Colley said that the commission had received 12 nomination submissions from 18 aspirants. Six withdrew before submitting, among them the National Unity Party, the All Inclusive Party and the Gambia Action Party.

The IEC says it will publish a list of endorsed candidates in due course, and more aspirants may file before 14 November. Colley said the National Unity Party chose to join the Team Gambia Grand Coalition, a political alliance.

Bensouda: The Eligibility Dispute

Talib Bensouda, leader of the opposition UNITE party and former mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council next to the capital Banjul, filed his papers on Saturday 7 November 2026. Colley said he was the only aspirant to have completed every requirement, though the IEC has not yet formally approved him.

Bensouda announced his resignation as mayor with effect from 6 November, and UNITE said this was meant to meet the constitutional requirements for running. A government White Paper, its formal response to an official inquiry, accepted adverse findings against him by a local government commission of inquiry.

The Constitution bars from the presidency anyone found liable for misconduct by a commission of inquiry while in public office. Bensouda has appealed the finding to the Court of Appeal.

President Barrow said in a letter that the White Paper is not a court judgment or a ruling on eligibility. He said that decision belongs to the IEC, subject to the courts.

A Citizenship Question

The Constitution requires presidential candidates to be Gambian citizens only. Colley said Babakusa Dukureh, whose Gambian Labour Party submission is pending, had publicly acknowledged holding dual Gambian and US citizenship.

The IEC has not said how it will rule. The commission is also checking some candidates’ school certificates.

What Prediction Markets Say

Polymarket, an online prediction market, listed “Gambia Presidential Election Winner” with US$17,488 traded as of 9 November 2026, 2:07 p.m. ET. It priced Barrow at 76.0% and opposition leader Ousainou Darboe, head of the United Democratic Party, at 18.5%.

Kalshi, regulated in the US by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), listed “Gambian presidential election winner?” with 18,277 contracts traded. It priced Barrow at 76% and Darboe at 19%.

These prices are bets, not polls. The trading volumes are small.

Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.

What It Means for You

Travellers in Greater Banjul may meet crowds and road closures on Tuesday 10 November near Sting Corner and the IEC offices, going by the NPP’s plan. US citizens there should check their embassy’s travel advice.

Dual US-Gambian citizens should note that the Constitution bars them from the presidency. For more, see our electoral system explainer, our key players guide, our voter-register report and the Gambia hub.

What Is Not Known

It is not known whether the IEC will approve Bensouda, or how the Court of Appeal will rule on his appeal. We have seen no date for either decision.

The NPP’s figure of 100,000 supporters is only an expectation. We could not confirm the IEC’s time slot for Barrow, and it is unclear who else will file by 14 November.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Gambia vote for president?

The presidential election is on Saturday 5 December 2026. The IEC’s nomination period runs until 14 November 2026.

Can Talib Bensouda run for president?

The IEC has not yet decided. A government White Paper accepted adverse findings against him, and he has appealed to the Court of Appeal.

Why does a US passport matter for a candidate?

The Constitution requires presidential candidates to be Gambian citizens only. The IEC chairman said Babakusa Dukureh acknowledged dual Gambian and US citizenship.

Sources: Independent Electoral Commission of The Gambia (nomination statements, 3 to 9 November 2026); National People’s Party announcement of 9 November 2026; Office of the President, statement on the Local Government Commission of Inquiry White Paper; 1997 Constitution of The Gambia; Polymarket and Kalshi market pages (read 9 November 2026).

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error