Africa-Press – Gambia. Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda, in a recent appearance on the program For the People, By the People, underscored his commitment to issue-based politics and dismissed what he described as personal attacks from senior government officials.
“We are already practicing it,” Mr. Bensouda said, referring to his pledge to center political debate on policy rather than personality. “When we tackle opponents, we tackle their bad policies, we tackle their poor developmental track record, and we tackle their abuse of office and things they are doing very poorly, especially their performance, and that’s exactly what we are focused on.”
The mayor, who has emerged as a vocal critic of the Barrow administration, said he would not be drawn into what he characterized as political provocation.”If Ismaila Ceesay or Hamat Bah believes we are going to be stuck in a bubble throwing personal jabs at each other, they are greatly mistaken,” he said. “We are clearly focused on the poor record of government—the high cost of living, the depreciating currency, joblessness, hopelessness, and rampant corruption eating through public coffers.”
Responding directly to remarks made by Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Mr. Bensouda was unapologetic. “Dr. Ceesay has never been elected to office. I have,” he said. “I have faced jabs every day. I’ve done it for two elections, and I’ve won both. So if he thinks he can come out with cheap shots, he is greatly mistaken.”
Mr. Bensouda presented himself as a seasoned public official who has withstood political pressure from both the government and the opposition. He said he had been “tested in public office,” denied opportunities that would have offered personal benefit, and cleared of allegations brought against him. “I have experience on how to do it right, and I’m bringing that experience to the table,” he said.
The mayor framed his political movement as rooted in integrity and national unity, contrasting it with what he described as entrenched divisions in Gambian politics. “We want politics of integrity and telling the truth. We want politics of innovation and solving issues. We want politics of equality and pushing away tribalism and being inclusive,” he said. “Anybody you tell this to will say they completely get it.”
Mr. Bensouda expressed confidence that his movement could grow into one of the country’s largest political forces, emphasizing that it was driven by values rather than personal ambition.
“This movement will grow to become the biggest political platform in this country because it’s not powered by one man’s ambition. It’s not to feed one man’s ambition. It is not about personal gratification or self-perpetuation. This is a people’s movement to bring meaningful change in Gambian politics through principles and values that everybody can subscribe to,” he said.
Acknowledging public skepticism toward new political projects, the mayor said such doubts were understandable given past disappointments. But he argued that his record set him apart.
“I totally get it when people have suspicion. I totally get it that there are examples that have left a bad taste in people’s mouths. But remember I’m one of the few people in this example who has been tested in public office… I have seen the good and bad. I have a lot of experience on how to do it right and I’m bringing extension to there,” he said.
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