The Kanifing Municipal Mayor, Ahmed Talib Bensouda, has withdrawn his bid to be the United Democratic Party (UDP) flagbearer for the 2026 elections, conceding to the longtime party leader, Alhaji Lawyer Ousainou Darboe.

Mr. Bensouda has also stepped down from his position as the party’s National Organizing Secretary, citing personal integrity as the reason for his resignation.

His decision comes amid months of internal party tensions, which saw Talib’s loyalists urging Lawyer Darboe to step aside after leading the party unsuccessfully in elections since 1996.

However, staunch supporters of Darboe dismissed these calls, describing them as an attempt to remove the veteran politician from party leadership.

In a dramatic turn on Saturday, Talib Bensouda used his social media page to announce his decision, stating that it was based on a prior promise not to seek party leadership as long as his godfather, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, was also contesting ahead of the 2026 election.

“Therefore, I have told him, and I am here to tell my supporters, that effective immediately, I have withdrawn my candidacy for the flagbearership of the United Democratic Party,” he said.

Mr. Bensouda also confirmed that he is stepping down as National Organizing Secretary to allow Darboe to appoint someone else to the position ahead of the polls.

He stressed that the decision was driven by personal reasons and a desire to protect his integrity.

He added: “I have therefore told him I will resign as the National Organizing Secretary of the United Democratic Party. My resignation is effective immediately.”

Mayor Bensouda did not hold back on addressing the fierce criticism and accusations levelled against him during this period, urging individuals to stop using politics as a tool to castigate and insult those with differing views.

By Adama Makasuba