Ebrima Dibba Warns Against Bensouda’s Disqualification, Says Coalition 2026 Will Resist Any Attempt to Bar His Candidacy

By Fatou Sillah

Ebrima Dibba, national president of the UNITE Party, has warned that Coalition 2026 will resist any attempt to disqualify its presidential candidate, Talib Ahmed Bensouda, from the December 5 election, declaring that the coalition will not accept his exclusion from the ballot.

In an audio statement, Mr. Dibba accused President Adama Barrow’s administration of attempting to use the findings of the Local Government Commission of Inquiry and legal mechanisms to prevent Mr. Bensouda from contesting the presidency.

He insisted that Mr. Bensouda would be nominated and that coalition members were prepared to defend his right to participate in the election.

“We are not going to allow for our candidate to be banned because if you try that, the elections will not happen,” Mr. Dibba warned.

The UNITE national president urged the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to maintain its independence and resist what he described as potential political interference in the electoral process.

He also called on President Barrow and the electoral authorities to draw lessons from other countries where attempts to exclude opposition candidates from elections had contributed to political instability and military coups.

Mr. Dibba argued that preventing Mr. Bensouda from contesting could threaten The Gambia’s peace and political stability, maintaining that citizens should be allowed to determine their preferred leader through the ballot box.

He accused the government of seeking to manipulate legal processes to undermine Mr. Bensouda’s presidential ambitions, although he did not provide evidence establishing that the commission or electoral authorities were acting under political instructions.

The UNITE official emphasized that Coalition 2026 members would not be intimidated by any attempt to prevent their candidate from participating in the election.

He went further, declaring that he was prepared to sacrifice his life to ensure that Mr. Bensouda’s name appeared on the presidential ballot.

Mr. Dibba maintained that the coalition would reject any attempt to block the candidacy, portraying the issue as a test of the country’s democratic principles and the right of Gambians to freely choose their leaders.

His remarks come amid political controversy surrounding the findings of the Local Government Commission of Inquiry and their potential implications for Mr. Bensouda, who serves as mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council.

The government has recommended his removal from office following the commission’s findings, a move Mr. Bensouda has challenged.

However, whether those proceedings could legally affect his eligibility to contest the presidency remains a separate question governed by the country’s electoral and constitutional requirements.

Mr. Dibba’s warning underscores growing tensions surrounding the presidential nomination process as political parties prepare for the December 5 election.