Talib Ahmed Bensouda, mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council and presidential candidate of Coalition 2026, has accused the government of using President Adama Barrow’s ongoing Meet the People Tour to attack political opponents instead of addressing the concerns of farmers and rural communities.
Speaking at a Coalition 2026 rally in Medina Sering Mass, Mr. Bensouda questioned the purpose of the tour, which is officially intended to facilitate dialogue between the president and rural communities.
He alleged that the exercise had become a platform for attacking opposition figures, including himself, rather than focusing on the needs of the people the tour is meant to serve.
“The government is spending approximately three million dalasis a day on the tour,” Mr. Bensouda said, questioning whether the spending reflected the priorities of ordinary Gambians.
He claimed that D70 million in public funds had been allocated to the 19-day exercise, arguing that the money could be put to better use by addressing development needs in communities such as Medina Sering Mass and other underserved villages.
Mr. Bensouda’s criticism comes amid growing political activity ahead of the December presidential election, with opposition figures raising concerns about the government’s spending priorities and approach to governance.
He argued that the tour should focus on listening to farmers and rural residents and addressing the challenges they face, rather than being used to criticise political opponents.
The Coalition 2026 candidate also called on President Barrow to take decisive action against government ministers whose public statements, he said, could fuel tribal divisions.
“President Adama Barrow, you are our president. If your ministers stand on platforms, speaking in tribal lines to divide the people, you as the president should cut their speeches and ask them to leave the meeting ground because they want to divide the country,” he said.
Mr. Bensouda said the president had a responsibility to protect national unity and ensure that members of his administration did not use public platforms to promote ethnic divisions.
He condemned tribalism as an obstacle to national development and urged political leaders to promote unity.
He also rejected claims that he was of Lebanese origin, insisting that both his parents were born in The Gambia.