By Buba Gagigo
Talib Ahmed Bensouda, Organizing Secretary of the United Democratic Party (UDP), addressed ongoing discussions about his potential candidacy because the social gathering’s flag bearer. Speaking throughout a current interview with Kerr Fatou, he clarified that he has by no means expressed an curiosity in changing into the UDP flag bearer and can’t management public perceptions about him.
“First of all, I want to say it is politics. People have different opinions. People have different people they like and follow. Even in any company, everybody has an office they answer to. My office is the organizing secretary’s office. So naturally, the campaign manager reports to me, as do the deputy organizing secretary and the deputy campaign manager. So if you want to back that group as a ‘Kafo’ within a ‘Kafo’, that’s unreasonable. Because when you look at the people I work with on a daily basis in the party, those are the people,” Talib mentioned.
He acknowledged that these accused of being a part of his “team” are literally members of the marketing campaign and organizing constructions, however emphasised that this stems from his place as Organizing Secretary.
“Those are the people who are in the campaign and organizing structures, but I am the campaign and organizing chairperson. Now, of course, when we come to party politics and the future of the party, many people have different opinions, and certainly I’m not going to sit here and deny that I have not heard opinions about me and my prospects. But I have had opinions about me and my prospects since I entered politics, which is natural. Every politician in the UDP, at least every prominent politician, has people who have a view that they could be the next leader. But that is not within my control. I cannot control what people perceive of me or what people’s opinions are of me. Some like me. Some don’t like me, which is natural, but we must be mature. The UDP is a Democratic Party,” Talib mentioned.
Talib highlighted the democratic nature of the UDP, emphasizing that each the social gathering’s structure and its insurance policies align with democratic rules. He identified that most of the social gathering’s actions replicate this dedication.
“When you look at our selection of candidates, when you look at our Congress, yes, it’s not pretty, but it is democratic. Sometimes the person you expect will win, or the person you want to win and the person you campaign for does not win. We’ve had it at every level, from the councilor level to the MP level to the mayoral level. Now, the reason why this one is much talked about is because it’s the highest position in the party. That’s why everybody is just talking, but I was not aware that there were applications open for that position,” he mentioned.
He identified that public scrutiny of politicians is regular, and constructing a powerful base of supporters is a part of the political course of. However, he cautioned in opposition to accusations inside the social gathering, noting that unity is vital. “I guess that is normal, right? But every politician must always continue to build their base. Must always continue to do politics,” he mentioned.
When requested whether or not this utilized even past a politician’s constituency, he responded, “Absolutely. Every politician I’ve encountered has KAFOs which have embraced them as father figures throughout the nation. Whether they maintain workplace or not, they’ve youngsters in Basse, youngsters in Jarra, youngsters in all places. It’s a typical factor when a KAFO approaches you and says, ‘I really admire you, I want to make you the father of our group.’
“You’re not going to say no, right? And every politician enjoys that. Everyone likes to feel appreciated, to build their platform for whatever the future may hold. Maybe your platform will make you a minister, an MP, or something else entirely. What we need to avoid as a party, in order to maintain unity and peace, is pointing fingers at one another.”
When requested if he intends to push Darboe apart and take over the management of the UDP, he responded:
“I neither have the facility nor the will to take action. Darboe is a father determine to all of us, an iconic chief of the social gathering, and virtually like a religious information. He’s somebody all of us admire, and I personally maintain him in nice love and respect. So, when folks say I need to push him out, the place is the proof? You haven’t heard it from me, and I haven’t informed anybody that.
“It’s just people’s opinions. Maybe some say, ‘I prefer Talib as a leader,’ but how can I be blamed for someone else’s opinion? This happens with many prominent figures in the UDP. There are people who openly express their preference for other leaders, but it’s never turned into a big deal. So why is it that when someone mentions Talib, it becomes a controversy?”
When requested concerning the frequent criticism he faces at any time when he’s talked about because the social gathering’s flag bearer, he acknowledged that this has been a problem since he entered politics.
“This is coming both from the NPP and the UDP. I expect it from the NPP. They’re our rivals, and I don’t expect them to say anything good about me. I only expect bad things, but I certainly don’t expect it from UDP, right? Even if there was an opening, which I’m not aware, We compete on a healthy basis. Because if you defeat the other camp, or you defeat Talib, and you are the one who is selected, you certainly need Talib’s support and willingness to support you. So this is where maturity comes into place. Now, UDP is a party of process. It is what is written in our Constitution. But of course, there’s an unset rule when it comes to Darboe, we all revere, we all respect, and we all adore him. He has not stated his position. So why are you forcing others to state their positions,” he mentioned.
In response to these suggesting he ought to publicly state his lack of curiosity, Talib asserted that such an motion contradicts the democratic rules of the UDP.
“Why would I ever do that in any world? Number one, I don’t owe anything to anybody to say that. Number two, it is highly undemocratic, and that is not UDP’s values. Number three, it is not the time. Number four, our party leader has clearly repeated time after time. Stop this flag-bearer topic. Let’s focus on holding the government accountable. When the time comes, I, the party leader, will chart the way and tell you what’s going to happen in the next few months. So basically,” he mentioned.
Talib Ahead Bensouda additionally referred to as on all United Democratic Party militants to settle down and focus. “I certainly have not declared what my interests are, and I will not at this point in time. When the time comes and I know what I want to do, then I will state it, and I have made it categorically clear. I said, I am a citizen of this country. You can insult me, you can say whatever you want, but I have my democratic rights, my choice to be,” Talib mentioned.
The KMC mayor expressed his dedication to the UDP, emphasizing his alignment with its values. Stating, “I love the party. I love the party leader as our leader, and I highly respect and revere Him for everything he has done for this country. And I will till the day I die. I know the reason, sometimes I’m very comfortable and calm. I say, Well, you know, look at the people who are saying these things. As far as I’m concerned, the person who I most care about, who I listen to most, who is the party leader, is 100% confident in me, 100% adores me, and 100% supports me. So at the end of the day, it is opinions, but what I also don’t want is these push and pull, these rivalries, these perceived threats, to keep damaging the insides of the party,” Talib mentioned.
When requested if he makes use of people like Mark Janneh and Yunus Hydara to advance his agenda, Talib dismissed the claims, stating he has by no means spoken to Mark Janneh and has no relationship with Yunus Hydara.
“I’ve by no means spoken on the telephone with Mark Janneh. I don’t have a relationship with Yunus Hydara. The first time I had him speak about we having a relationship, I feel, was round this controversy, and I discovered that it’s via a Jawara Kunda connection. These are the opinions of people that have their very own opinions, however I’ve had opinions that diverge from these of those people who find themselves marking different candidates, aside from the social gathering chief and myself.
“But why is it so devastating when somebody says, Oh, Talib is my preferred leader? Why? Why is that so devastating? That is that person’s opinion. And you certainly cannot tie that person’s opinion around my neck and say, Oh, the reason he’s saying this is because Talib is fueling him. And remember, at the end of the day, the UDP is a party that has a long history. It is a party that has been around. And what we’ve seen the founding members and the former party members used to do is they used to hold each other tightly,” he mentioned.
Talib referred to as on UDP supporters to prioritize unity, stating that division solely results in weak spot.
“There’s only a weakness in division. So even if you are not in agreement sometimes, even if you don’t like what is being said, it is important to maintain decorum and to keep pushing messages of unity, because who does this help at the end of the day? The NPP. And who is potentially fueling these grievances? The NPP. Do you underrate the strength and power of government, from the NIA to the police to state resources, to the potential of paying insiders, to the potential of having insiders working for them? Because at the end of the day, if UDP is in disagreement, who will benefit? So we should always keep that in mind. That’s why I never react. That’s why when the talk is too much, the accusations are too much. I just take a step back and watch them to let them calm down,” he mentioned.
Regarding the potential candidacy of Darboe for the UDP flag bearer place, Talib affirmed, “If Darboe decides to run, I will certainly not apply. However, I am not making any commitments about my own candidacy at this time,” he informed Kerr Fatou on Thursday.
