List of heads of state of the Gambia

This is a list of the heads of state of The Gambia, from the independence of The Gambia in 1965 to the present day.

From 1965 to 1970 the head of state under the Gambia Independence Act 1964 was the Queen of The Gambia, Elizabeth II, who was also the Monarch of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. The Queen was represented in The Gambia by a Governor-General. The Gambia became a republic in 1970 and the Monarch and Governor-General were replaced by an executive President.

 Monarch (1965–1970) 
The succession to the throne was the same as the succession to the British throne.
№MonarchPortraitReignRoyal HousePrime MinisterReign startReign endTime in Office1Queen Elizabeth II79x79px 1965 19705 years,
66 daysWindsorJawara

 Governor-General 
The Governor-General was the representative of the Monarch in The Gambia and exercised most of the powers of the monarch. The Governor-General was appointed for an indefinite term, serving at the pleasure of the Monarch. The Governor-General was appointed solely on the advice of the Cabinet of The Gambia without the involvement of the British government. In the event of a vacancy the Chief Justice served as Officer Administering the Government.

 Status

№Governor-GeneralPortraitTenureMonarchPrime MinisterTook officeLeft officeTime in Office1Sir John Paul60x60px 1965 1966356 daysElizabeth IIJawara2Sir Farimang Mamadi Singateh60x60px 1966 19704 years
75 daysElizabeth IIJawara

Political affiliation
(at time of appointment)People's Progressive Partychairman National Revolutionary Council, in rebellionPeople's Progressive Party

MilitaryArmed Forces Provisional Ruling Council

Political affiliation
(at time of appointment)Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and ConstructionUnited Democratic Party

 President 
The President of the Republic of the Gambia is the head of state and head of government of the Gambia. The president leads the executive branch of the government of the Gambia and is the commander-in-chief of the Military of the Gambia. The post was created in 1970, when the Gambia became a republic and has been held by three people: Dawda Jawara, who ruled from 1970 until 1994, Yahya Jammeh, who seized power in a bloodless coup that year and Adama Barrow, who defeated Jammeh in elections held in December 2016.Wiseman, John A. (2004) Africa South of the Sahara 2004 (33rd edition): The Gambia: Recent History, Europa Publications Ltd. p. 456.
№PresidentPortraitTenureElectedPolitical affiliationTook officeLeft officeGambia Colony and Protectorate   (1961–1965)1Pierre Sarr N'Jie80x80px 14 March 196112 June 19621961 People's Progressive Party2Dawda Jawara80x80px12 June 196218 February 19651965 People's Progressive PartyThe Gambia (1965–1970)3Dawda Jawara80x80px18 February 196524 April 19701965 People's Progressive PartyThe Gambia4Sir Dawda Jawara80x80px 1970 19811972
1977 People's Progressive Partychairman National Revolutionary Council,
Gambia Socialist Revolutionary Party5Kukoi Sanyang30 July 19815  Aug 1981 chairman National Revolutionary Council, Gambia Socialist Revolutionary Party5 6 7Kukoi Sanyang ,
Ousman Bojang ,

Gibril George5 August 19815 August 1981– chairman National Revolutionary Council, Gambia Socialist Revolutionary PartyThe Gambia8Sir Dawda Jawara80x80px5 August 198122 July 1994 1982
1987

1992 People's Progressive PartyMilitary rule (1994–1996)  coup d'étatArmed Forces Provisional Ruling Council22 July 199422 July 1994Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council9Colonel Yahya Jammeh64x64px22 July 199418 October 1996 Armed Forces Provisional Ruling CouncilSecond Republic (1996–2006)10Yahya Jammeh64x64px18 October 199618 October 20061996
2001
2006 Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction11Lang Tombong Tamba18 October 200618 October 2006— Armed Forces Provisional Ruling CouncilThird Republic (2006 — 2014 )12Yahya Jammeh64x64px18 October 200630 December 20142006
2011 Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction13Colonel Yahya Jammeh ,
Ousman Badjie30 December 201430 December 2014– Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council14IndependentFourth Republic (2014 — 2017 )15Yahya Jammeh64x64px30 December 201421 January 2017 —
 ECOWAS military intervention in the Gambia Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction2016–17 Gambian constitutional16Yahya Jammeh64x64px9 December 2016  21 January 2017Independent17Adama Barrow80x80pxFive Republic (2017 — Incumbent)18Adama Barrow80x80px19 January 20179 December 20232016 United Democratic Party19Sanna Fadera9 December 202325 December 2023—Armed Forces20Adama Barrow25 December 2023Incumbent2021United Democratic Party

 President Candidates
Nominations were accepted between 30 October and 5 November.  From twenty-one nominees, six candidates were approved to run by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC):

NamePartyPositionAdama BarrowNational People's Party (NPP)Incumbent President (2017-present)Ousainou DarboeUnited Democratic Party (UDP)Former Vice President (2018-2019)Essa M. FaalIndependentChief Prosecutor of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (2018-present)Mama KandehGambia Democratic Congress (GDC)MP in Pan-African ParliamentAbdoulie Ebrima JammehNational Union Party (NUP)Former Director General of The Gambia Civil Aviation AuthorityHalifa SallahPeople's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS)Special Advisor to the President on Governance (2017), National Assembly Minority Leader (2002-2007)

Vice president
#NameTerm of officePolitical party1Sheriff Mustapha Dibba19701972PPP2Assan Musa Camara19721977PPP3Alieu Badara Njie19771981PPP2Assan Musa Camara1981May 1982PPP4Bakary Bunja Darbo12 May 19821992PPP5Saihou Sabally199222 July 1994PPP6Edward Singateh199619977Isatou Njie-Saidy20 March 199718 January 2017APRCFatoumata Tambajang23 January 20179 November 2017UDP89 November 201729 June 20189Ousainou Darboe29 June 201815 March 2019UDP10Isatou Touray15 March 20194 May 2022Independent11Badara Joof4 May 202217 January 2023IndependentVacant (17 January – 24 February 2023)12Muhammad B. S. Jallow24 February 2023IncumbentIndependent

 Edward Singateh, designated vice president in 1996,
 Related pages 

 List of colonial governors of the Gambia
 List of heads of government of the Gambia
 Lists of rulers in the Gambia
 Lists of office-holders

 References 

 Guinness Book of Kings, Rulers & Statesmen, Clive Carpenter, Guinness Superlatives Ltd
 African States and Rulers, John Stewart, McFarland

 Other websites 
 World Statesmen – The Gambia
 Rulers.org – The Gambia

Category:Lists of heads of state

heads of state