Ebrima Sillah, Minister of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure, has publicly disagreed with President Adama Barrow’s projection of securing 75% of the vote in the 2026 presidential election, describing the figure as unrealistic.
“When people talk on the platform, certain statements are just like metaphors. You just say those ones to encourage the very foot soldiers and the grassroots supporters so that everybody can be energized,” he stated.
He made these remarks on Coffee Time With Peter Gomez on Tuesday, 14 October 2025.
Minister Sillah explained that, given the country’s current political landscape, dynamics, and electoral trends, it would be difficult for any candidate to achieve 70% of the national vote.
Nonetheless, he expressed confidence in President Barrow’s re-election prospects, asserting that the incumbent remains in a “very good position” heading into 2026.
Citing historical voting patterns, Sillah noted that since the early days of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) up to 1982, incumbent presidents in The Gambia have typically secured at least 37% of the vote, while the main opposition tends to maintain a strong base of around 15% to 17%—creating a margin of roughly 20 percentage points.
