APP-Sobeyaa leader Essa Faal has denied claims that he demanded the position of a vice president as a condition for remaining in an opposition coalition, amidst a dispute over his withdrawal. Bensouda’s camp stated Mr Faal’s withdrawal was primarily premised on the rejection of his proposal for the vice presidential position, which the general body did not accept. Faal refuted these assertions, stating, "We respect their right to support their candidate but a coalition cannot be built on the assumption that one candidate must win. That undermines the very spirit of shared governance and collective political endeavour." Bensouda’s camp further dismissed Faal's claims as "false and misleading," adding, "Our consistent position has been, and remains, that we will follow whoever wins the flag-bearer contest, fairly conducted… This alleged position was never held, and never officially communicated, by Unite."
Faal's Stated Reasons for Exit
Essa Faal attributed his withdrawal from the opposition coalition to a belief that the selection process could no longer guarantee the necessary fairness, transparency, and credibility. Faal also alleged that Aziz Bensouda’s camp had communicated a position indicating they might not be prepared to accept another individual’s leadership, citing significant investments in their campaign over the past three years. This alleged stance was later reiterated by Aziz Bensouda himself to APP-Sobeyaa’s chief negotiator, Ousainou Bobb. Faal stated, "We respect their right to support their candidate but a coalition cannot be built on the assumption that one candidate must win. That undermines the very spirit of shared governance and collective political endeavour." Bensouda’s camp subsequently dismissed Faal's claims as "false and misleading," adding that their "consistent position has been, and remains, that we will follow whoever wins the flag-bearer contest, fairly conducted… This alleged position was never held, and never officially communicated, by Unite."
Coalition's Counter-Narrative
Members of the Unite party stated that Essa Faal had proposed that the individual who placed second in the candidate selection process should be granted the vice president position if the coalition secured victory in December. Faal, however, debunked Bensouda's explanation, accusing Unite of misrepresenting both its own position and the reasons for his withdrawal. He stated, "We respect their right to support their candidate but a coalition cannot be built on the assumption that one candidate must win. That undermines the very spirit of shared governance and collective political endeavour."
Bensouda’s camp swiftly rejected Faal's narration as "false and misleading." The camp also rejected allegations that Talib was unprepared to accept another person’s leadership due to significant investments in his campaign. Bensouda’s camp reiterated, "Our consistent position has been, and remains, that we will follow whoever wins the flag-bearer contest, fairly conducted… This alleged position was never held, and never officially communicated, by Unite."
Underlying Tensions and Future
Essa Faal was among the final three candidates for the flag-bearer position before his withdrawal from the coalition. APP-Sobeyaa later stated that Bensouda, his brother Aziz, and Ebrima Dibba visited Faal and made claims similar to those discussed with APP-Sobeyaa’s chief negotiator, Ousainou Bobb. The discussion with Mr. Bobb was undertaken with him acting in his official capacity, with the party's knowledge and sanction. Faal commented, "We respect their right to support their candidate but a coalition cannot be built on the assumption that one candidate must win. That undermines the very spirit of shared governance and collective political endeavour." Bensouda’s camp dismissed these assertions as "false and misleading," maintaining, "Our consistent position has been, and remains, that we will follow whoever wins the flag-bearer contest, fairly conducted… This alleged position was never held, and never officially communicated, by Unite."