By Fatou Sillah
Lamin Manneh, Deputy Administrative Secretary for External Affairs of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has publicly acknowledged internal tensions within the party, which he attributes to the actions of Kanifing Municipal Council Mayor, Talib Bensouda.
In a recent interview with Kerr Fatou‘s weekly public affairs program, The Brunch, Manneh alleged that Bensouda’s perceived early presidential ambitions have caused unease among some UDP members.
“Yes, this was happening, and we all saw it; a number of us were uncomfortable with it, to be frank,” Manneh stated. “With it that you have a party executive member, particularly the chairman of the organizing committee, doing those sorts of things, it makes us uncomfortable. It made us uncomfortable in the sense that it looked like what people are saying is he running for 2026?” Is he preparing to take over?” he asked.
Manneh explained that while the issue was informally discussed among some party members, it never escalated to a formal complaint or official action.
“There were discussions about this, not too many, but a few. Some of his supporters said things suggesting he should step up in 2026 and that Mr. Darboe should step down. A lot of unbecoming things were said,” he revealed.
Manneh said he made repeated calls for restraint and urged Bensouda to advise his supporters to exercise patience and allow the party to function as intended until the appropriate time.
“I said several times that maybe he should tell his supporters to step back and let the party run the way it is supposed to until the right time comes,” he emphasized.
He further noted, “if Talib had arrested it at that time, we might not have gotten to this position. Talib had said he would not run if Mr.Darboe was running; he had made it clear that Mr. Darboe is his candidate, but when his supporters came out and made noise, he should have told them to hold their fire.”
Despite the disagreements, Manneh dismissed suggestions of a party crisis, describing the situation as a natural phase of internal competition and ambition.
“There were some rows that took place in the party and misunderstandings and, of course, ambitions, personal ambitions, which is normal for a political party,” he said.
When asked whether the internal friction was directly tied to the 2026 elections, Manneh suggested it was more about long-term political positioning. “I think this is more about positioning oneself for 2031,” he said.
According to Manneh, most senior party members expect Ousainou Darboe to lead the UDP as its presidential candidate in 2026, and there are no serious efforts to replace him. Stating “Almost everybody knew there was a strong likelihood that Mr. Darboe would run, and all of them had said in the past that if he runs, they will not run.”
Manneh reaffirmed his personal support for Darboe, emphasizing his capability to defeat President Barrow. “He is my preferred candidate; what we are looking at is somebody who can win against Barrow because of his track record and integrity,” he said.
Addressing concerns about Darboe’s age, Manneh argued that leadership should not be judged on age alone. “Discrimination, whatever form it takes, based on age, tribe, region, or sex, always ends up in the negative sector; we do not want that,” he said.
He added that, “What we are looking at is someone who has the experience, capabilities, and integrity to run a country. Mr. Darboe has been tested over time and has demonstrated self-sacrifice and commitment to national interest,” he said.
Manneh concluded by saying that the UDP’s focus is on building consensus within the party. Saying, “Our objective is to convince those people to come on board with us. We respect their position and are explaining why we believe Darboe is the right choice.”