Following the release of the government white paper and speculations about UNITE and Coalition 2026 Talib Bensouda’s eligibility to contest in the coming presidential election, the party’s legal team has responded, insisting that the document does not disqualify its leader from contesting.
Abdul Aziz Bensouda, the legal secretary of the UNITE, said the intention of the government is to mislead the public and to cause the IEC to possibly attempt to disqualify the UNITE candidate.
According to Lawyer Bensouda, the government released the white paper at a calculated time, just a week before presidential nominations, to create confusion among the public and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
He highlighted that the Local Government Commission’s findings are different from the conclusions and recommendations presented in the government’s white paper.
Lawyer Bensouda said the LG Commission’s only findings against the UNITE candidate and mayor of KMC Talib, was as follows: “Exercised political and executive influence in a manner capable of causing or sustaining irregular commitments, unauthorised expenditure, irregular project direction, and extra-statutory financial exposure”.
He narrated that after receiving that adverse finding in a form of letter on May 12, Talib Bensouda filed an appeal on June 24, and requested the full copy of the LG Commission report which was denied by the Ministry of Justice.
The lawyer said the only way someone can be disqualified to contest for the presidency by a Commission of Inquiry is when under Section 62(2) of the Constitution, he or she is found liable for corruption, negligence, misconduct or improper behaviour.
“Now from the very letter of the LG Commission conveying their findings which I have just read and given to you, where is it stated that Talib has been found liable for such conducts as stipulated by Section 62 of the Constitution, which the government white paper is trying to make us believe,” Lawyer Bensouda asked.
He then asked how come such a finding found its way into the whitepaper which in any case is not a legal instrument and cannot introduce new findings or conclusions beyond those made by the LG Commission.
“So the white paper is not a legal instrument. It is simply government’s reaction to the report,” he said.
Lawyer Bensouda also questioned the timing and manner in which the government published the documents, claiming that the LG Commission report had been altered after its submission to the President on May 11.
According to him, Talib’s legal team examined the metadata of the original report obtained from the Ministry of Justice through a memory stick and found that it had been modified after the Commission submitted it.
He described the alleged alteration itself as unconstitutional and illegal, saying UNITE would take action over the matter.
He maintained that the LG Commission’s overall findings did not establish final personal liability against the KMC mayor.
He also revealed that UNITE had written to President Adama Barrow, copied the IEC, requesting clarification before November 7. He also accused the president of using state resources to influence the outcome of the 2026 elections, an allegation he said had been communicated to the diplomatic community.
