By Buba Gagigo
Yankuba Darboe, Chairman of the Brikama Area Council, has acknowledged the existence of factions within the United Democratic Party (UDP) and has directly accused Talib Ahmed Bensouda’s supporters of fueling the internal discord.
In a recent interview with Pa Modou Bojang of MembeKering, Mr. Darboe alleged that members of Mr. Bensouda’s camp have actively worked against him in his own constituency, undermining his leadership in the West Coast Region.
“It is true we have camps in the UDP, but Talib’s camp is the problem,” Mr. Darboe said. “Even in my own region, they go behind me, visit Foni without informing me, and distribute sugar to residents, telling them it is from Talib. They say, ‘Your chairman does not have money, that’s why he cannot give you sugar.’”
Mr. Darboe said he has consistently encountered this behavior, which he views as a violation of party unity. “If we are in the same party and claim to be one, this should not happen,” he said, adding that he personally confronted Mr. Bensouda, accusing him of being the source of the party’s internal rift.
“I told Talib that the entire problem in the party is him. I can name people from his camp who are actively campaigning against me—not members of the NPP, not APRC, but his own people,” Mr. Darboe said. “They go house-to-house in the West Coast Region, spreading negative information about me. This behavior is tearing the party apart, and it is now spilling onto social media.”
Mr. Darboe recounted that Banjul Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe had previously warned him about political friction with Mr. Bensouda’s allies. At the time, Mr. Darboe dismissed her concerns.
“I was very close to Talib then. I didn’t believe what Rohey told me,” he said. “But now I am beginning to see it. You cannot claim someone is your brother and stab them in the back.”
According to Mr. Darboe, members of Mr. Bensouda’s camp have insulted him and labeled him as “temperamental,” yet he insisted that he has refrained from retaliating in kind.
“Yankuba Darboe may only be in power for two years, but he leads the largest region in The Gambia, and there are people who voted for me,” he said. “When you attack me, those people will naturally respond—even people I don’t know personally have spoken out in my defense.”
Mr. Darboe also said he is currently engaged in battles on multiple fronts, including with the West Coast Region’s governor and President Adama Barrow, but expressed frustration that his own party is now among his challengers.
“I don’t fight anyone. I have no supporters in the Kanifing Municipal Council, I don’t distribute sugar, I don’t give out t-shirts, I don’t pay people in KMC,” he said. “The only allies I have outside my region are Rohey Lowe in Banjul and Landing Sanneh in LRR. Yet, I face resistance even in my own backyard.”
Mr. Darboe further disclosed that the Kanifing Municipal Council had once provided him with trucks to support his work, but this assistance was abruptly withdrawn when he refused to publicly credit Mr. Bensouda.
“They wanted me to go to the media and announce that Talib was helping me with trucks. I told them I wouldn’t do it. Why should I? We are in the same party,” he said. “When they had issues with dumping in Bakoteh, I allowed them to dump in Tambana without asking for recognition. That’s how you treat a brother.”
When asked whether Mr. Bensouda’s visits to Foni were part of his official UDP responsibilities as the party’s Organizing Secretary, Mr. Darboe denied that this was the case.
“He’s not going there on behalf of the UDP,” Mr. Darboe said. “Even when they toured the region, I followed them and welcomed them back. But when they went to Foni, I was not informed. I just saw it in the media. He used to inform me before, but not anymore.”
The Brikama chairman also referenced a meeting he had with Mr. Bensouda and Ms. Lowe, where they agreed to openly address grievances within the party. Mr. Darboe said he spoke candidly during the meeting but believes that his honesty has worsened the situation.
“I said the truth, and from there, things became more difficult. The problem is Talib. If Talib changes, the party can move forward,” he said.
According to Mr. Darboe, the UDP leadership has urged all members to cease infighting, but he maintains that Mr. Bensouda continues to distance himself from the actions of his supporters.
“If people like Serimang Kuyateh, Alagie Camara, Ebrima Ceesay, and Buba Bojang—Talib’s allies—stop campaigning against me, then we can find a path to reconciliation,” he said. “But as long as they continue fighting me, there can be no peace.”