Africa-Press – Gambia. Ousainu Darboe, the leader and flag-bearer of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has expressed surprise at recent actions by Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda, stating that he did not expect the Kanifing mayor’s political turn.
Speaking in an interview, Darboe revealed that he had previously trusted Bensouda’s assurances that he had no intention of contesting the 2026 presidential election.
“I defended Talib because I believed him,” Darboe said. “He told me on several occasions that he was not seeking the presidency. He said he only wanted to create a gap between himself and potential rivals for the future.”
According to Darboe, these assurances were made during meetings he personally convened to address rumors that some individuals were advancing Bensouda’s personal agenda over the UDP’s collective interest. Among those present at one such meeting, he said, were Banjul Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe, Chairman Yankuba Darbo, and Chairman Landing B. Sanneh.
“I called those meetings because there were claims that some people were promoting Talib instead of the UDP,” Darboe explained. “I believed him because I loved him, but it turns out he was promoting himself, not the party.”
The UDP leader also dismissed suggestions that Mayor Bensouda was unaware of his (Darboe’s) application for the party’s flag-bearer position. “Anyone saying they didn’t know I applied is just fooling the people,” he said, recalling that he publicly confirmed his intention to seek the nomination during an interview on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez.
“If Talib didn’t know, why didn’t he ask me?” Darboe questioned. “They knew very well I had applied.”
Darboe said he was disappointed by Bensouda’s resignation as the UDP’s National Organizing Secretary, noting that he never expressed a lack of confidence in the mayor’s ability to run the campaign effectively.
He also questioned the motives of others who resigned alongside Bensouda. “Is it that when there’s an issue with Talib, the whole party suddenly has a problem?” he asked. “Some of them haven’t been in the UDP that long to now say the party has changed.”
Darboe alleged that Bensouda’s departure and the formation of a new political movement were premeditated. “You cannot leave an established party and form a movement within a month unless it was planned,” he said, referencing Kemo Bojang’s earlier statement predicting a rift after the flag-bearer selection.
Darboe further clarified that he never promised Bensouda the UDP flag-bearer position, stressing that such a decision is not his alone to make. “The flag-bearer is chosen by the selection committee, and party leadership positions are decided at congress,” he said.
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