By Arret Jatta & Tabora Bojang
UDP leader Ousainu Darboe has brushed off the recent wave of resignations from the party, insisting that the departures will not affect the party’s momentum ahead of the 2026 elections.
Speaking during his Europe fundraising tour in Vienna, Darboe expressed confidence in the party’s ability to withstand internal challenges, citing past experiences where high-profile members left but the party remained strong.
Darboe pointed to the 2018 internal rift when President Adama Barrow, a UDP kingpin who left to form the National People’s Party.
“In 2018, we dismissed eight National Assembly Members and a chairman [of Brikama Area Council] from the party because they were doing reckless things that were not in the interest of the party. We dismissed all of them. Not only them but the likes of Alkali Conteh, Lamin Cham and many others who were running UDP’s politics have all left the party and people say the UDP was going to die but not a slice of anything happened. We parted ways with a sitting president [Adama Barrow] with all his power, money, influence and everything he could not shake the UDP. The party remains intact,” Darboe said, emphasising the party’s resilience.
Over the past weeks, key figures including executive members in the yellow party, many allied with Kanifing mayor Talib Bensouda, left.
Despite these challenges, Darboe says his party remains strong and focused and will win the 2026 election.
Confirmation of Darboe as the UDP’s 2026 presidential candidate resulted in a series of resignations across various regions. The departing members questioned Darboe’s leadership, calling for a generational shift and more inclusive decision-making processes.
The UDP leader, however, downplayed the impact of the resignations, citing its Phoenix like ability to rise from the ashes of serious setbacks, rejuvenated and unbowed.
