🇬🇲🇬🇲: President Adama Barrow will begin the 2026 Meet the People Tour on 1 October, according to a State House announcement published today. The circuit is scheduled for 19 days, of which 15 are working days and four are rest days. Over that period he is expected to hold 21 general meetings in major towns and growth centres, inspect 24 project sites, and preside over seven inauguration or handover ceremonies. The tour is due to end in mid-October, after which he is expected to return to Banjul.
The article presents the tour as a constitutional duty under Section 222(15) of the 1997 Constitution. That section sits in the Code of Conduct for public officers. The relevant presidential clause requires the President to undertake a nationwide tour at least twice a year so that he can see current conditions and the effects of government policy at first hand. Governments have long packaged that requirement as an annual Meet the People Tour, even though the text itself calls for at least two such tours a year.
The stated purpose is dialogue and inspection. Communities are meant to raise problems of roads, electricity, water, farming, health and schools, while the President inspects unfinished works and commissions those that are ready. In practice these tours also draw large organised crowds of local officials, traditional leaders, women’s groups, youth and ruling-party supporters, and they have often doubled as a platform for announcing projects and calling for unity.
The political setting matters. The presidential election is fixed for 5 December 2026. Barrow, president since 2017, is seeking a third term under the existing constitution after earlier attempts to write in term limits failed. Recent polling has put him ahead of Ousainou Darboe of the UDP, but short of a majority and with a large undecided share. Talk of an NPP understanding with Essa Mbye Faal’s APP-Sobeyaa is part of that pre-campaign picture. Barrow has already used recent State House meetings to accuse some opponents of paying people to swell rally crowds.
Earlier tours followed a similar pattern: site visits, promises on electrification and roads, groundnut-payment reforms, and occasional disputes over whether the exercise had become a campaign. Barrow has previously insisted that formal politics would wait until the official tour was over.
(@PointGambia)
First Family and GFF President Celebrate Gambia’s 2-1 Win Over Somalia
President Adama Barrow and the First Family joined a packed Independence Stadium on Friday as the Scorpions opened their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Somalia.
Newly elected Gambia Football Federation president Kemo Ceesay was among the football executives who watched Ebrima Colley convert an 18th-minute penalty before Mohamed Badamosi headed the winner in the 83rd minute after Bilal Njie’s equaliser.
The presidential party and federation leadership joined fans in celebration as Gambia claimed an important first three points on home soil.
Video Credit: Saul Touray, OP.
How can a non Somali jareer feature for Somalia’s national team while real Somali talents go unscouted and waste away on mini-fields?
This needs investigation, smells like a scandal.
Extreme tribalism rules Somali football, so how did he even get a chance?
Through X I happen to meet with positive people that add value to my daily life and help me grow.
@BigBesso@sisawo08@subzeeraw
And this mada4ka @SenBoybShy 🤣😭😂
🇸🇴 Somalia face Gambia tonight in their opening Group C match of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers at Independence Stadium in Bakau.
Kick-off: 7:00 PM Somalia time.
Led by coach Yuu Cali the Ocean Stars will look to start their campaign with a positive result.
Good luck Ocean Stars🇸🇴👏
I can’t wait to chant “Ghana teye mah reye laaaaaaaaah, Ghana, Ghana, Ghana teye mah reye laaaaaaah” at the independence stadium next international break.😎👀
FT: 🇬🇲2-1🇸🇴
Heartbreaking. 30 minutes of fantastic play in the 2nd half.
We get the goal and sit back straight away. Fikireey has to do much better there.
Not the result you want but can’t fault the performance. The boys played really, really well.