Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The newly formed United Movement for Change (UMC) on Saturday officially elected Kanifing Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda as its party leader and presidential flag bearer during the party’s inaugural National Congress held at Paradise Suites Hotel.
The congress marked a significant milestone for the movement, which emerged following its split from the United Democratic Party (UDP), as it formally transitioned into a registered political party ahead of the December 2026 presidential election.
Delegates from across The Gambia and the diaspora gathered to ratify the UMC constitution, adopt the party’s organizational structure, and elect a new national executive tasked with steering the party into the next electoral cycle.
In a unanimous and widely anticipated decision, Bensouda was endorsed to lead the party and spearhead its presidential ambitions.
The UMC leadership described the congress as the beginning of a broader political project aimed at building what it called the largest opposition coalition since the 2016 political transition that ended former President Yahya Jammeh’s rule.
Addressing delegates after his election, Bensouda framed the party’s mission around democratic participation, accountability, and national renewal.
“Democracy cannot survive when fear replaces fairness,” he declared. “And let me say this directly to the Gambian people. I do not fear anyone scrutinizing Talib Bensouda. I do not fear anybody criticizing Talib Bensouda. I do not fear political competition. I can beat you all the way to Marina Parade.”
The Kanifing mayor added that his greatest concern was the growing fear among young people to openly engage in national affairs.
“What I fear is a country where too many young good people become afraid; afraid to speak, afraid to participate, afraid to challenge power,” he said.
The congress also drew attendance from several opposition political figures, including lawyer and politician Essa Mbye Faal, signaling early signs of engagement between the UMC and other opposition actors ahead of the 2026 elections.
Among the key officials elected during the congress were Kemo Bojang as Deputy Party Leader for Political and Media Affairs, Ebrima Dibba as national president; Hon. Yahya Menteng Sanyang as head of Administration and finance; Habib Ceesay as national coordinator; Karafa Sonko as Deputy Campaign and mobilizer; Neneh Freda Gomez as Deputy Party Leader for Governance and Public Policy, and MC Cham as national campaign manager.
The emergence of UMC has generated increasing debate within the country’s political landscape. When the movement first surfaced, critics questioned whether it could survive beyond its breakaway from the UDP or establish itself as a serious national political force.
However, supporters at Saturday’s congress argued that the large turnout from delegates and sympathizers reflected the party’s growing influence across both urban and rural communities in The Gambia.
The party is expected to continue its momentum later Saturday with a grand rally at the Tallinding Buffer Zone, an event organizers say will officially launch UMC’s nationwide mobilization campaign ahead of the presidential race.
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