The Alliance for Patriotic Politics (APP-SOBEYAA) has rejected UNITE’s response to its withdrawal from the Coalition Mediation Committee (CMC) talks, accusing the party of misrepresenting the reasons behind its decision.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Ousainou Bobb, APP-SOBEYAA said it was responding to “set the record straight” after what it described as an inaccurate portrayal of its position.

The party said its proposal for a running mate was not an admission that it expected to lose the coalition’s flagbearer contest, but rather a proposal aimed at promoting inclusion and shared responsibility within the coalition.

“APP-SOBEYAA entered these talks with three possibilities in mind: to participate, to lead, or to accept being led; but only through a process that is fair, transparent and founded on trust,” the statement said.

APP-SOBEYAA also challenged UNITE’s dismissal of claims that the party had invested heavily in Talib Ahmed Bensouda’s presidential campaign and would not accept another candidate as flagbearer.

The party said Bensouda, his brother Aziz and Ebrima Dibba had conveyed similar positions to Essa Faal, while Aziz Bensouda also made similar remarks to APP-SOBEYAA’s national spokesperson and lead negotiator, Ousainou Bobb.

APP-SOBEYAA disputed UNITE’s characterisation of Aziz Bensouda as a “third party”, arguing that he had been involved in political engagements concerning Bensouda and wider coalition discussions.

The party also accused UNITE of focusing on the running-mate issue while overlooking what it described as allegations of improper conduct and inducements raised during the talks.

According to APP-SOBEYAA, these concerns were also among the reasons former Vice President Fatoumatta Jallow-Tambajang and CMC chairman Prof. Mballow withdrew from the process.

The party maintained that it participated in the negotiations in good faith but ultimately withdrew after concluding that the process no longer met the standards of fairness, credibility and integrity it expected from a national coalition.

“APP-SOBEYAA did not walk away because it feared losing an election. We walked away because we refused to compromise the principles on which a credible coalition must be built,” the statement said.

The party said UNITE was free to defend its preferred candidate but should not portray its withdrawal as being driven by a desire for a vice-presidential position.