Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The United Democratic Party (UDP) has suffered a major political blow as Hon. Yahya Sanyang, National Assembly Member for Latrikunda Sabiji, has formally resigned from the party, becoming the first sitting MP to join the mounting wave of defections reshaping the UDP’s grassroots base.
In a resignation letter dated October 5, 2025, and addressed to UDP Senior Administrative Secretary Hon. Alagie S. Darboe, Sanyang cited “deep personal regret” and “a singular but irreconcilable difference” with the party’s current direction—specifically its choice of flagbearer for the 2026 presidential elections.
“This decision has been, without a shadow of a doubt, the most agonizing and difficult choice I have had to make in my political career, and indeed, one of the toughest of my entire life,” Sanyang wrote. He described leaving the UDP as “leaving a part of my own family behind,” noting his profound emotional attachment to what he called “the party of my parents.”
Sanyang explained that his decision followed extensive consultations with family, elders, and advisers. His central objection, he said, lay in the leadership’s decision on the party’s flagbearer—a choice he argued does not provide “the best, most viable path to victory or the most effective platform to unite the nation.”
Despite his departure from the UDP structure, Sanyang pledged to remain committed to national development and to support the UDP caucus in the National Assembly on issues that serve the country’s interests.
He stressed that his resignation was not a rejection of the UDP’s philosophy or legacy, insisting he held “no animosity” toward the leadership or grassroots members.
Sanyang’s resignation comes against the backdrop of an escalating exodus of UDP grassroots leaders and regional executives, many of whom have declared support for Talib Ahmed Bensouda’s newly launched “Unite for Change” movement.
Over the weekend, at least a dozen prominent figures—including regional chairmen, campaign managers, and councillors—quit the UDP to rally behind Bensouda.
The defectors include Banta Kaira, regional treasurer for the Upper River Region; Doro Bah, chairman of CRR North; Mohamed Lamin Sussoho, deputy auditor in URR; Alieu Kora, deputy campaign manager for Serrekunda West; Sainey Sabally, regional chairman in Kerewan; Saihou Omar Keita, campaign manager in Farafenni; Sait A. Joof, regional coordinator in North Bank; Hon. Momodou Marr, regional administrative secretary in NBR; and several councillors across KMC.
Observers say Hon. Sanyang’s resignation marks a turning point in the ongoing rift within the UDP, as defections have moved beyond grassroots structures to touch the parliamentary caucus. His move is likely to embolden further shifts in allegiance as Bensouda consolidates his support base ahead of the 2026 elections.
