The Brikama Area Council (BAC) chair and Latrikunda Sabiji legislator have conspicuously diverged in view over Talib Bensouda’s declarations of a new political movement and his resignation from the United Democratic Party (UDP), with BAC chair describing the move as the pinnacle of betrayal and egocentrism while the Latrikunda Sabiji NAM contended that there is no betrayal in politics.
The Kanifing Municipality mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda’s declarations have triggered outcries and accusations among former party members.
The BAC chair Yankuba Darboe sharply criticised Bensouda’s moves, suggesting that they were part of a long-term, calculated grand scheme, warning the Gambian electorate to be cautious.
“They have been planning it for years, but they planned and God planned and God is the best planner!” Darboe wrote on Facebook. “If Gambians make the mistake of electing them, they will not say I did not warn them! Our struggle has always been about Gambia, not an individual!”
However, Hon. Yahya Menteng Sanyang disagreed with the popular framing of the split as a betrayal.
“I agree there are definitely series of betrayals amongst close associates, but I don’t agree that political betrayal is a real thing,” Hon. Sanyang maintained. “There’s no betrayal in politics; what’s there is readjustment and realignment of priorities for oneself and the country. If we call it ‘betrayal,’ then both parties will just say the other one betrayed them.”
Hon. Sanyang’s view made the controversial split look like a natural process of political realignment driven by changing personal and national priorities rather than a moral or ethical breach.
Mayor Bensouda’s decision to break ranks with the UDP and launch a new political platform followed a period of internal tension within the country’s main opposition party. The resultant public statements from prominent figures like Darboe and Sanyang highlight the profundity of the rift and the differing interpretations of the high-profile political maneuver.
The development signals a potentially significant shift in the dynamics of Gambian opposition politics, raising questions about the future stability and unity of forming a coalition against the ruling party.
