Ousainou Darboe has not spoken on his ambitions to lead the UDP into the next presidential elections but analysts believe the old man is likely to give way to a younger candidate by 2021
The leadership of the United Democratic Party has been tightlipped on the question of succession if their 69-year old Ousainou Darboe resigned from politics.
Pundits predict that the party could groom their charismatic young mayor elect of Kanifing Municipality Talib Bensouda for 2021 presidential elections.
Though Darboe fell short in confirming this but he said he has considered it an obligation to back any young person within the UDP who wants to go national.
“Young people like Talib, Rohey Lowe, I want them to enter into politics so that they can take up the leadership of this country. If Talib wants to go national and there are no other people, why shouldn’t I encourage him? After all, I do not believe and I will never be leader of this party till death do us apart. No! I cannot and I should not,” Darboe said.
“So we want to encourage people like Talib, younger people to come on board and support the likes of Talib… All our candidates are young people. Sheriffo Sonko, Landing Sanneh and Lamin Sanneh are all young people… If people like Talib have some national ambition, why shouldn’t that happen? Should we turn our backs on him and say no…”
Meanwhile, the UDP candidates who won in both Banjul and KM have converged at Darboe’s Pipeline residence on Sunday to discuss matters of mutual interest to their party.
“I am a candidate for all Gambians… Every person in KMC is paying tax and they should benefit from it…,” Talib said in an interview with Kerr Fatou.
Bensouda said he is very excited by the candidature of independent mayoral candidate Bakary Badjie and he will reach out to “seek advice or see how best we can work together”.
“I am the Mayoress elect but I will work with everyone to ensure Banjul progresses,” said the Banjul candidate for the UDP, Rohey Lowe.