By: Kemo Kanyi
Karamo Njie, the United Democratic Party (UDP)’s North Bank spokesperson, has called on Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda of KMC to accept the current internal decisions and dynamics of the party.
In an exclusive interview with The Voice newspaper on Tuesday, Njie advised Bensouda against acting on “ill political advice” driven by his popularity, warning that such a move could be detrimental to his political career.
He argued that those encouraging Bensouda to form a new political party or run as an independent candidate are leading him towards “political suicide.” He also stated that the mayor’s decision to break a previous promise he made has deepened existing misunderstandings within the UDP.
“He pulled a remarkable voter population in the past mayoral election, but he should acknowledge that most of his voters within the KMC are UDP sympathizers,” Njie declared.
He drew a parallel to the former presidential candidate, Essa Mbai Faal, who was also urged to run, saying, “We have seen how it ended.” Njie further noted that Bensouda’s vote count is significantly lower than that of Yankuba Darboe in the West Coast Region, cautioning Bensouda not to be misled by “selfish individuals and the CEPRASS survey.”
Expressing his dismay over Bensouda’s resignation from his role in the party, Njie stated that withdrawing his candidacy should have been sufficient. He emphasized that being a politician requires resilience against public criticism and insults. “If you cannot stand such, you are not a politician,” Njie stated, adding that the resignation was an unfortunate sign of anger.
Njie urged Bensouda to appreciate the respect, trust, and confidence the UDP placed in him, despite joining the party only in 2017 and quickly rising to its highest decision-making ranks. He contrasted this with Yankuba Darboe, who, despite having a larger voter base, is patiently climbing the party’s hierarchy. Njie concluded that Bensouda’s actions make him appear to be someone who only wants a leadership role, and that his resignation has damaged his reputation among many UDP militants who have “lost their trust” in him.
