Press release
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) held a historic and forward-looking consultation meeting with the leadership of the Golden Era movement, led by Mr Saihou Sawo and Mrs Nenneh Cheyassin Secka Kebe.
This engagement follows a series of constructive consultations between the PPP Secretary General and the Party Leader, Hon Ousman Madikay Faal. In keeping with the party’s long-standing tradition of inclusion, dialogue, and democratic practice, the party leader delegated a competent and representative team of party officials to engage the Golden Era leadership in open, respectful, and purposeful discussions aimed at strengthening national unity and building a credible, people-centered political alternative.
The PPP leadership firmly believes that Mr Saihou Sawo and Mrs Nenneh Cheyassin Secka Kebe are patriotic citizens who genuinely have The Gambia at heart. The party is deeply proud of their ambition to serve the nation, their decision to return home, and their willingness to invest heavily both in resources and ideas to contribute meaningfully to national development and the well-being of the Gambian people.
Most importantly, since they began engaging Gambians on political and national issues, Mr Saihou Sawo and Mrs Nenneh Cheyassin Secka Kebe have consistently conducted themselves with civility, issue-driven leadership, and deep respect for differing views. Their conduct reflects maturity, responsibility, and discipline, and aligns strongly with the PPP’s core principles and values of tolerance, unity, and peaceful democratic engagement.
Mr Saihou Sawo is an aspiring presidential candidate, and the PPP warmly welcomes and encourages his aspiration. The party reaffirms that the office of the party leader and secretary general, and the office of the presidential flag bearer are two distinct and independent offices, deliberately structured to safeguard internal democracy, fairness, and equal opportunity for all members.
The role of the party leader is to strengthen party institutions, safeguard internal democracy, and create an enabling environment in which every committed member can grow, lead, and aspire in accordance with the values and traditions of the PPP.
In this spirit, the PPP leadership unequivocally commits to providing a level playing field, institutional support, and all necessary resources to Mr Saihou Sawo, as only aspiring candidate for the position of PPP presidential flag bearer, and by the will of the Gambian people to become the President of the Republic in December 2026.
For Mr Saihou Sawo and Mrs Nenneh Cheyassin Secka Kebe, the consideration to join the PPP is not merely about today’s leadership. It is about the proud legacy of the party’s founding fathers, who worked tirelessly to unite The Gambia, safeguard national sovereignty, and build a peaceful and independent nation despite extremely limited resources. That legacy of sacrifice, discipline, and patriotism remains the moral compass of the PPP today.
The PPP recognises Mr Saihou Sawo as a competent, capable, and committed leader who is ready to serve the Gambian people with integrity, humility, and vision.
The PPP is more than a political party, it is a national movement. It was the PPP that led The Gambia to independence, laying the foundations of peace, unity, and development. As rightly echoed by Mrs. Nenneh Cheyassin Secka Kebe and Mr Saihou Sawo, it is once again the responsibility of the PPP to lead the nation into a Golden Era.
The secretary general and the party Leader therefore call on all PPP members, supporters, and sympathisers to accord Mr Saihou Sawo and Mrs Nenneh Cheyassin Secka Kebe full support, cooperation, and solidarity. All regional chairpersons and party structures are encouraged to welcome them warmly in the true spirit of the PPP family.
Today, united in purpose, the PPP stands ready to usher The Gambia into an affordable nation one defined by dignity, opportunity, accountable leadership, and shared prosperity for all.
