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Momodou
Denmark
11771 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Sep 2025 : 12:41:27
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10 ASPIRANTS CHALLENGE DARBOE FOR UDP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY
The Standard: September 4, 2025
By Tabora Bojang
https://standard.gm/10-aspirants-challenge-darboe-for-udp-presidential-candidacy/
Former vice president Ousainu Darboe, Kanifing mayor Talib Bensouda and former finance minister Amadou Sanneh and eight others have formally submitted their applications for the position of flag bearer for the opposition United Democratic Party in the 2026 presidential election.
Among the applicants is prominent lawyer Lamin J Darbo, who is seeking the party’s flag bearer position for the second time. Other contenders are: National Assembly Member for Central Baddibu Sulayman Saho, barrister and UDP deputy administrative secretary for legal and human rights Borry S Touray, businessman and native of Kaur Janneh-Kunda Lamin Jawara, medical doctor and native of Basse Dr Muhammed Danjo, native of Jarra Pakaliba and founder of Sofanyima Construction, Lamin NS Ceesay, former aspirant parliamentarian and native of Fulladu Pacharr Karamo Fatty, and party member and proprietor of AK Construction Company Lamin Jobe.
Unveiling the applicants at a press briefing yesterday, administrative secretary Alagie Darboe, said all the eleven aspirants will appear before the party’s vetting panel today to undergo an interview. He said issues that would be considered during the interview will include the applicant’s eligibility, leadership and governance experience, commitment to the party, public appeal and electability, integrity and moral standing.
As part of the vetting, the panel will also conduct grassroots consultations where it will meet party officials to sound their views on the respective applicants.
According to the administrative secretary, the vetting panel will prepare a report from these consultations and the outcome of its interview with the applicants which will be submitted to the central committee to shortlist three best candidates to be selected by the selection committee.
However, before the final selection, the party’s council of elders will be given the opportunity to engage the three shortlisted applicants for final selection to undergo dialogue to reach consensus on one possible candidate.
“If there is no consensus, the final selection will be done in a secret ballot system,” Administrative Secretary Darboe explained.
According to him, a total of 81 officials will be taking part in the secret ballot comprising 65 members of the national executive and 16 officials from the 8 administrative regions of the country.
The applicants will be interviewed in the following order today: Talib Bensouda at 10:30am, Lamin NS Ceesay at 11am, Dr Muhammed Danjo at 11:30am, Lamin J Darbo at noon, Ousainu Darboe at 12:30pm, Karamo Fatty at 1pm, Lamin Jawara at 1:30pm, Lamin Jobe at 2:30pm, Sulayman Saho at 3pm, Amadou Sanneh at 3:30pm and Borry S Touray at 4pm.
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11771 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2025 : 15:06:51
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Bensouda bows out from UDP flagbearer race, Darboe calls for respect
The Point: Sep 8, 2025
By: Jankey Ceesay
https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/bensouda-bows-out-from-udp-flagbearer-race-darboe-calls-for-respect
In a dramatic turn in the build up to the 2026 presidential race, Talib Ahmed Bensouda, the Lord Mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council, has withdrawn his candidacy for the United Democratic Party (UDP) flagbearership and resigned as the party’s National Organising Secretary.
As he stepped aside, Bensouda delivered a parting message that “politics is not a game of insults, nor a game of division, nor of defamatory comments. It is a game of national development.”
“Talib served with honour and dedication. His resignation from the organising secretary role must be respected,” current UDP leader Ousianu Darboe said, while reacting to Bensouda’s withdrawal from the race.
He described Bensouda’s choice as “a difficult but honourable decision.”
Bensouda, addressing thousands of his supporters via a video posted on his social media platform, reminded Gambians that politics should not reduce citizens to bitter enemies. “We must cherish it as a tool to foster community unity and nation building,” he urged, stressing the need for civility and decency in the country’s heated political climate.
“Politics is not about tearing each other down,” he emphasised. “It is about building our nation, improving lives, and strengthening the unity that binds us together.”
The Mayor, long seen as one of the UDP’s brightest young prospects, had submitted his application to contest the party’s flag bearer position alongside 10 others. However, in what he described as a matter of “principle and loyalty,” he said he could not challenge UDP leader Ousainu Darboe should the veteran politician choose to run again.
“I made a prior commitment that if His Excellency Ousainu Darboe pursues the UDP flag bearership, I will not challenge him for that same position,” Bensouda said.
He revealed that he had met Darboe one-on-one to express both his desire to lead and his confidence of victory, but ultimately, Darboe confirmed his determination to stand as the party’s candidate.
“Therefore,” Bensouda continued: “I have told him and I am here to tell my supporters that effective immediately, I have withdrawn my candidacy for the flagbearership of the United Democratic Party 2026.”
In addition, Bensouda tendered his resignation as UDP’s National Organising Secretary, noting that Darboe “will need an organizing secretary he can trust, one who can deliver to his expectation.” |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11771 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2025 : 15:09:41
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BENSOUDA’S RESIGNATION ROCKS UDP
The Standard: September 8, 2025
By Lamin Cham & Omar Bah
https://standard.gm/bensoudas-resignation-rocks-udp/
The main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) prides itself as the most democratic party in the country, where dissent and divergence of views are encouraged. However in the last few days, the party got more than it bargained for in terms of internal democracy as a simple selection process for the party’s presidential candidate, descended into an epic battle that shook the very foundation of the party.
A record 11 people including veteran leader Ousainu Darboe applied to lead the party into next year’s presidential election. Among the most notable challengers was Talib Ahmed Bensouda, the mayor of Kanifing.
Bensouda commands a very vocal if not a huge block of supporters across all stratters in the party and his cross- party appeal among the population too makes him a real threat to the decades’ long control of the party by Darboe.
His supporters believe he stands the greatest potential to attract undecided voters to the party, something the party has struggled to achieve.
However his bid attracted a huge resistance in equal measure from supporters who expressed unshakable faith in the veteran leader, Ousainu Darboe. They accused Bensouda of orchestrating a conspiracy to depose the veteran leader. Most of the other aspirants are not considered to be serious threats to Darboe.
As the process entered into interview and vetting stage, the acrimony between the Bensouda-Darboe camps grew and spread like a bush fire in the hamartan.
Bensouda quits
At the height of the tensions on Saturday Bensouda announced he is quitting the race and surrendering his executive position, (national organising secretary) in the party. Although he stopped short of explaining his future in the party or his next line of action speculation is rife that Bensouda could be charting an independent path or preparing to form or join a new political coalition.
Darboe calls for restraint
Reacting to Bensouda’s announcement, UDP leader Ousainu Darboe praised Bensouda’s “difficult but honourable” choice, and urged “respect and restraint”.
He asked party members to avoid insults or divisive rhetoric.
“Talib served with honour and dedication. His resignation from the organising secretary role must be respected, but he has not left the UDP. We remain one family, and we must realise that politics is full of changes and tomorrow may bring a very different reality from today. But whatever happens, we should maintain respect for one another at all times,” he said.
Darboe urged his supporters to avoid saying or doing things they may later regret.
“Treat Talib with the dignity he deserves, as he has treated us with dignity. Only unity will keep the party stronger,” Darboe advised UDPians. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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10 ASPIRANTS CHALLENGE DARBOE FOR UDP
