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On Sept. 12, 2026, The Gambia’s main opposition, the United Democratic Party (UDP), held a political rally in Allunhari village in the Upper River Region (URR), a stronghold of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).

After the rally, a Facebook user, UDP TV& MEDIA, shared an image that appeared to show an unusually large crowd.

The image was accompanied by a video in which a man identified as a UDP supporter claimed that the photograph was genuine and rejected suggestions that it had been generated using artificial intelligence.

“Breaking news, guys, this is what happened in Allunhari yesterday, URR. A lot of people called me to ask if this crowd is AI or not,” the supporter said.

“I told them, you know, AI, but UDP doesn’t use AI to fake crowds. Just see it yourself. This was the crowd at the rally in Allunhari, URR Basse,” the supporter further stated.

The supporter also claimed the turnout showed growing dissatisfaction with President Adama Barrow’s leadership and support for UDP’s leader, Ousainou Darboe.

At the time of writing, the post had attracted more than 1,500 likes, 41 comments, and 23 shares.

Several commenters believed the image was authentic, and some suggested the turnout reflected growing support for the opposition party ahead of The Gambia’s presidential election on Dec. 5, 2026.

Verification

DUBAWA examined photographs and videos taken during the UDP rally in Allunhari and compared them with the image shared by UDP Media and TV.

See different videos and images of the UDP leader’s arrival here, here, here, and here.

After closely reviewing the videos and images the claimant shared, DUBAWA noted that most were taken from the same angle, focused on one side, and showed the same crowd.

The comparison revealed significant inconsistencies between the image in question and real-life images taken at the rally.

Several visual features in the image the claimant shared also raised concerns. On close examination, many faces appear distorted or poorly defined, while the spacing and positioning of people in parts of the crowd appear unnatural.

Hands and other body parts are also difficult to distinguish, while some facial and physical features lack the detail usually visible in photographs of large crowds.

Using an Artificial Intelligence detection tool, aiornot.com, DUBAWA obtained an 85 per cent probability that the image was digitally manipulated.

Viral image of mammoth crowd at UDP rally, AI-generated

Screenshot of aiornot.com’s analysis of the image.

We also used other AI detection tools such as Canva AI, DeepAI, and ZeroGPT, and the results showed that the above image is AI-generated.

In addition, a DUBAWA fact-checker, Dawda Baldeh, who was physically present at the Allunhari rally, examined the image against the scene observed at the event.

The video footage that the fact-checker recorded further provides visual evidence for comparison.

DUBAWA also reviewed other photog r aphs the claimant published in connection with the rally. Unlike the image in question, those photographs were consistent with the available visual realities and did not exhibit the same characteristics associated with the AI-generated image.

Screenshot of aiornot.com’s analysis of actual images taken at the rally.

Conclusion

The image showing huge turnout at the UDP rally in Allunhari is false. DUBAWA’s research indicates that the image was AI-generated and does not accurately depict the crowd at the event.