Does Bensouda Deserve to Lead the Opposition Coalition?

Published by: The Fatu Network

Talib Ahmed Bensouda has gone from becoming the youngest mayor in Gambian history to emerging as one of the prominent figures seeking to lead a united opposition into December’s presidential election.

His rise from the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) to the national political stage has made him one of the country’s best-known opposition figures. After serving as the United Democratic Party’s (UDP) National Organizing Secretary, he left the party and established UNITE, which he now leads.

First elected KMC Mayor in 2018 at just 31, Bensouda was comfortably returned to office in 2023, defeating his nearest opponent by more than 13,000 votes. During his leadership, the council has overseen major investments in roads, drainage, markets, waste management and other municipal services across The Gambia’s most populous municipality.

Now, with the opposition coalition preparing to choose its presidential flagbearer on August 8th, Bensouda hopes to translate his success in local government into the biggest political prize yet: leading a united opposition into December’s presidential election.