After a rigorous internal selection process, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe was selected to represent the United Democratic Party (UDP) in the 2026 presidential election.
Darboe defeated his opponents, former Finance Minister Amadou Sanneh and lawyer Borry Touray, to take the top place. Touray received 8 votes, Sanneh received 2, and Darboe won 65 votes from the delegates who voted.
Darboe has been the leader of the UDP since its inception in 1996, and this will be his sixth time leading the party into a presidential election.
With his win, Darboe will face current President Adama Barrow again when the Gambians cast their ballots in December 2026. In the 2021 presidential election, the two last squared off, with Barrow winning a second term.
