By Buba Gagigo
Yankuba Darboe, Chairman of the Brikama Area Council, has declared that he would part ways with the United Democratic Party (UDP) should the party move to replace its long-time leader, Ousainou Darboe, with Talib Ahmed Bensouda.
“The party does not belong to Talib, and it is not led by Talib,” Mr. Darboe said in an interview Monday evening on Mengbe Kering. “The party leader is ANM Ousainou Darboe, and he is the person I am following. If the day comes when they tell me that narrative has changed—that Talib is now the leader—I will find myself somewhere else. That is my position.”
When asked whether he would reconsider his stance if Mr. Bensouda were to win in a primary election, Mr. Darboe said he would make a decision at that point. However, he expressed deep reservations about the current direction of Bensouda’s faction within the party.
“I have every reason to fear that if these people come to power, they will be worse than Barrow,” he said, referring to President Adama Barrow, whom the UDP has frequently criticized for mismanagement and patronage politics. “Everything we challenged Barrow on, they are doing the same.”
Mr. Darboe accused Mr. Bensouda of using personal branding to overshadow the party. “Barrow used to distribute money to party members under his own name instead of the UDP’s. Talib is doing the same. He gives out sugar using his own name instead of the party’s,” he said. “When he tours with the party leader, all you see are Talib T-shirts. Are you promoting the party, or are you promoting Talib? This is the question we need to ask.”
In the same interview, Mr. Darboe openly acknowledged the growing factionalism within the UDP. He directly accused Mr. Bensouda’s supporters of actively working to undermine him in his own constituency, alleging that they have sought to weaken his political base in the West Coast Region.
The United Democratic Party, long considered The Gambia’s primary opposition force, is facing increasing internal tensions as it prepares for the 2026 presidential elections. The divisions could prove pivotal in shaping the party’s future direction and leadership.