The Coalition 2026 and its UNITE partners have declared that Talib Ahmed Bensouda is not banned from contesting The Gambia’s December 5 presidential election, dismissing concerns sparked by the recent Government White Paper on the Local Government Commission of Inquiry.
In a press statement issued on 30 October 2026, the coalition said it understood supporters’ anxiety after the White Paper was published just hours after the Independent Electoral Commission released its nomination calendar. “Let it be clear: The Commission of Inquiry HAS NOT BANNED Talib Ahmed Bensouda from contesting the presidential election,” the statement read. “The White Paper CANNOT ban Talib Bensouda from contesting the presidential election.”
The coalition reassured party members, supporters and sympathizers that Bensouda’s nomination would proceed as scheduled. It described the timing of the White Paper as “a weak, last-minute political maneuver intended to confuse the public and to create uncertainty and panic among voters ahead of nominations.”
Calling on Gambians to remain “confident, resolute and united,” the statement accused the NPP Government of desperation, claiming the administration “will lose this election.” It affirmed that all Coalition 2026 political campaign activities would continue as planned “with even more momentum.”
The coalition specifically urged supporters from every region and community to mobilize peacefully on Saturday, 7 November 2026, and accompany Bensouda to the Independent Electoral Commission for his nomination. “Talib Ahmed Bensouda will be nominated on 7 November 2026,” the statement asserted.
It concluded by stressing that “the law shall prevail. The people shall be heard. Democracy must proceed.” The Coalition 2026 Party Secretariat issued the release.
The White Paper, which accepted the commission’s findings of irregularities, unauthorized expenditure, and abuse of office against Bensouda in his capacity as Mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council, recommended a criminal investigation, surcharge proceedings, and a process for possible removal from mayoral office. The coalition’s statement did not address the substance of those findings, focusing instead on the absence of any electoral ban and on the continued viability of Bensouda’s presidential candidacy.
By framing the White Paper’s release as an attempt to disrupt the nomination process, Coalition 2026 sought to convert the controversy into a rallying point ahead of the 7 November nomination and the 5 December poll. The statement offered no legal citation to support its assertion that neither the commission nor the White Paper could disqualify Bensouda, relying instead on a categorical denial and a call for public confidence.
