Talib Ahmed Bensouda, the Coalition 2026 presidential candidate and Mayor of Kanifing, has declared that his coalition is poised to defeat President Adama Barrow in the December 5 presidential election, accusing the incumbent of abandoning key promises on democratic reforms, presidential term limits and good governance.
Speaking at a Coalition 2026 rally in Basori, Kombo East, on Wednesday, Mr. Bensouda said the growing public response to the coalition’s nationwide campaign had strengthened his belief that Gambians were ready for a change in leadership.
He thanked residents of Basori for what he described as an overwhelming show of support, adding that the coalition’s engagements with communities from Kartong to Koina demonstrated its expanding political appeal.
Mr. Bensouda said Coalition 2026 was determined to remove President Barrow from State House through the ballot box, arguing that the incumbent had been given sufficient time and opportunities to deliver on his promises to the Gambian people.
He said that Mr Barrow’s quest for a second presidential term was like a truck with no brakes and warned that the country could suffer serious consequences if voters did not act to stop it.
Mr. Bensouda highlighted some of the key commitments in his coalition’s newly-launched manifesto, especially focusing on governance, constitutional reform, anti-corruption measures and national security.
He said restoring public confidence in government would be a central priority of a Coalition 2026 administration, arguing that weaknesses in the country’s legal and institutional frameworks had enabled successive presidents to exercise excessive executive authority without adequate accountability.
As part of its anti-corruption agenda, he pledged to establish an independent anti-corruption agency with the mandate to investigate and tackle the misuse of public resources.
“Corruption has undermined the delivery of essential public services, starving vital sectors such as health, education and agriculture of the resources needed to improve the lives of ordinary Gambians,” said Mr Bensouda.
He said the money meant for the national development should not be used to make a few people rich, and also stressed that public office should be seen as a responsibility to serve the people and not an opportunity to enrich oneself or one’s family.
On constitutional reform, the Coalition 2026 candidate renewed his commitment to introducing a two-term presidential limit, accusing President Barrow of abandoning the democratic reform agenda that accompanied his rise to power.
He recalled that Mr. Barrow had previously criticised the prolonged presidencies of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara and Yahya Jammeh and initially pledged to lead a three-year transitional administration before handing over power.
Mr Bensouda said the president’s later pursuit of more terms was a break from those earlier commitments and accused him of trying to remain in power for up to 15 years.
He said constitutional safeguards were necessary to prevent future presidents from extending their tenure indefinitely and to ensure regular democratic transfers of power.
Mr. Bensouda referred to developments in other parts of Africa, commending Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio for announcing that he would not seek another term in the country’s 2028 presidential election.
Such a position was an example of democratic responsibility expected of elected leaders, and political office should not become a permanent entitlement, he said.
He also mentioned clauses on presidential term limits in Senegal, Guinea, Ghana and Nigeria, asking why The Gambia should not have similar constitutional limits.
Mr Bensouda said that real democratic reform is only possible with political leaders who are prepared to put transparency, accountability and the national interest above their personal political ambitions.
He decried what he called the growing cases of killings and theft in the area of national security and accused the government of neglecting to provide adequate protection for citizens.
He also criticised the Barrow administration’s continued reliance on the Economic Community of West African States Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG), arguing that responsibility for the country’s security should rest primarily with Gambian security institutions.
Mr. Bensouda pledged that, if elected, his administration would work towards ending the country’s reliance on the regional military mission and restoring full responsibility for national security to Gambian forces.
He said his government would formally acknowledge and thank ECOMIG for its contribution before taking steps to transfer security responsibilities fully to Gambian forces.
The Coalition 2026 candidate maintained that his proposed reforms were necessary to rebuild public trust, strengthen democratic institutions, tackle corruption and ensure that the country’s security remained firmly under national control.
He urged Gambians to use the December 5 election to bring about what he described as a new era of accountable leadership, constitutional democracy and responsible governance.
