By Muhammed MS’s Bah
Talib Ahmed Bensouda, the Mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council, has withdrawn from the United Democratic Party’s (UDP) flagbearer contest and resigned as the party’s National Organizing Secretary.
Bensouda made the announcement in a video posted on his official Facebook page, where he confirmed both his resignation from the party’s executive and his withdrawal from the hotly contested flagbearer race.
His decision follows days of heated debate within the UDP and on social media, after his application drew sharp criticism from some party loyalists. Critics accused him of going against his earlier public pledge that he would not contest for the UDP leadership if Ousainou Darboe, the party’s long-time leader, decided to run.
Bensouda had joined nine other applicants last week to challenge Darboe for the ticket to lead the UDP into the 2026 presidential elections. But his move was viewed by some as a breach of trust, while others defended him as a young politician entitled to pursue leadership.
His sudden withdrawal has now fuelled speculation: is he bowing to mounting pressure from the criticism, or is he honouring his earlier promise to step aside if Darboe entered the race?
At 38, Bensouda is among the youngest high-profile figures in Gambian politics. First elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2023 as Mayor of KMC, he has been seen as one of the UDP’s rising stars and a symbol of generational renewal within the country’s largest opposition party.
Darboe, who has led the UDP since its founding in 1996, remains the party’s dominant figure and presidential candidate in every election the party has contested. His decision to vie for the 2026 ticket once again appears to have reshaped the internal contest in his favour.
While Bensouda has not elaborated on his reasons beyond the Facebook announcement, political analysts say his move may ease tensions within the UDP ahead of its upcoming congress, but it leaves lingering questions about the party’s readiness to embrace new leadership.
