Why did opposition groups unite behind Adama Barrow in the 2016 presidential election?

In the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election in The Gambia, several opposition groups united behind Adama Barrow primarily to present a unified front against the 22-year rule of then-president Yahya Jammeh.1

This coalition was formed in a climate of significant political tension, characterized by the arrest and imprisonment of opposition members and the death of two individuals in the custody of security forces. By rallying behind a single candidate, the opposition aimed to maximize their electoral strength to challenge Jammeh’s long-standing incumbency. A key condition of this alliance was that Barrow agreed to serve only a three-year transitional term, a commitment intended to facilitate a democratic shift in leadership.12