The chairman of the Brikama Area Council, Yankuba Darboe, has stated that if the United Democratic Party (UDP) decides to replace Ousainou Darboe, its long-time leader, with Talib Ahmed Bensouda, he will leave the party.
In an interview on Mengbe Kering on Monday night, Mr. Darboe stated, “Talib is not the leader of the party, nor does it belong to him.” “ANM Ousainou Darboe is the party leader, and I’m following him. I’ll end up somewhere else if they ever inform me that the story has shifted and Talib is now in charge. That’s where I stand.
In response to a question about whether he would change his mind if Mr. Bensouda won a primary, Mr. Darboe stated that he would decide then. He did, however, voice serious concerns about the present course of Bensouda’s party faction.
He made reference to President Adama Barrow, whom the UDP has regularly criticised for poor leadership and patronage politics, saying, “I have every reason to fear that if these people come to power, they will be worse than Barrow.” “They are doing the same on everything we challenged Barrow on.”
Mr. Bensouda was charged by Mr. Darboe with leveraging his own brand to discredit the party. In the past, Barrow disbursed funds to party members in his personal name rather than the UDP’s. Talib is following suit. He distributes sugar under his own name rather than the party’s,” he remarked. “Talib T-shirts are the only thing you see when he tours with the party leader. Would you rather be endorsing Talib or the party? This is the query that we must pose.
Mr. Darboe freely admitted the UDP’s increasing factionalism in the same interview. He accused Mr. Bensouda’s followers of deliberately trying to undercut his political base in the West Coast Region by working against him in his own seat.
Long regarded as the main opposition party in The Gambia, the United Democratic Party is currently dealing with escalating internal strife as it gets ready for the 2026 presidential election. The party’s future leadership and course may be greatly influenced by these divisions.
