United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Ousainou Darboe has dismissed suggestions that internal leadership disputes have inflicted significant damage on the party, insisting that disagreements are a normal part of political life.

In an interview with West Coast Radio, Darboe, who recently confirmed he will contest the 2026 presidential election, acknowledged tensions within the party but rejected characterisations of the discord as destabilising or tribal.

“I don’t think it has done reputational damage,” he said.

The veteran lawyer and former vice president also pushed back strongly against accusations that tribalism is shaping the UDP’s internal politics. “All those who know me, know that Ousainou Darboe doesn’t think in tribal terms,” he said. “There’s no tribal inclination in me.”

Citing his personal and professional relationships, Darboe said he had been mentored by prominent non-Mandinka figures such as A.J. Senghore and P.S. Njie. His two wives, he added, are non-Mandinkas.

“Many of my children are also married to non-Mandinkas,” he said.

Darboe’s remarks come amid simmering internal tensions within the UDP, with some party insiders privately voicing concern about factionalism and succession battles as the 2026 election approaches.

By Adama Makasuba