Africa-Press – Gambia. Kanifing Municipal Council Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda has cautioned the opposition not to underestimate President Adama Barrow ahead of the 2026 presidential elections, citing the power of incumbency and Barrow’s determination to remain in office.
Speaking during an interview with Peter Gomez on Coffee Time, Mayor Bensouda emphasized that the United Democratic Party (UDP) must approach the upcoming election with strategic planning.
“Barrow is to be in no way underestimated. He is a sitting president determined to stay on. He is, I think, fearful for the wrong reasons, as to why he believes he needs to continue being president. So he will be desperate. So UDP has to be very strategic,” Bensouda warned.
He highlighted the importance of effective communication and collaboration, stressing that coalition-building will be crucial for the UDP’s success in 2026.
“Nation-building and the electoral process benefit from partnerships. Governments that encourage coalition-building and bring other parties on board tend to perform better than those that choose to go it alone,” he noted.
When asked about the current state of potential coalition partners, Bensouda admitted that none has been formalized yet, describing the process as complex.
“Well we don’t have any yet because we are leading into the election so it’s complex,” he said.
He buttressed his point further stating “We need to partner no matter what we need to partner. Partnerships, to get it together, is sometimes very difficult. It is complex it takes a long time, but I think just like in 2016 when we see the country sinking, we will come together again,” he said.
Bensouda described the UDP as a “diverse and complex political entity” with well-established internal structures and decision-making timelines. He downplayed the idea that an opposition candidate must be chosen a year in advance to successfully challenge the incumbent.
“And this thing that you have to be picked one year before to basically unseat the incumbent, I don’t think it’s factual. Barrow was picked three months before the election. Diomaye Faye was also selected a few months before his election,” Bensouda explained.
He commended the party’s media and communications team for their ongoing efforts to expose what he described as the government’s economic mismanagement and financial malpractice.
“I think what is most important is that of course UDP will start the process in due time, but what is most important is the messaging and I think our media and communications team is doing a tremendous job to basically expose government and its economic malpractice, its mismanagement of our finances,” he said.
“What’s most important now is helping people understand that the country is not moving in the right direction. To remove the incumbent, strategy—not just timing—is critical,” he concluded.
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