Seedy Njie, the deputy spokesperson for Gambia’s National People’s Party (NPP), recently testified in court that a news report published by The Voice newspaper, claiming that President Adama Barrow had selected Muhammed Jah as his successor, caused significant turmoil within the party.
Speaking as the prosecution’s first witness in the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court, Njie described how the report sowed “mistrust, pandemonium, and confusion” within the NPP and even reached state-level concern.
Journalists Musa Sheriff and Momodou Justice Darboe from The Voice are currently on trial facing a single count of false publication and broadcasting.
Njie recounted that on September 22, Sheriff called him to verify a story he said came from two senior NPP members about Barrow’s alleged succession plan. Njie stated he immediately dismissed the claim, reiterated Barrow’s intent to run in 2026, and explicitly warned Sheriff against publishing unverified information.
Despite his refusal to grant an interview, Njie testified, the article was published the following day, resulting in a wave of confusion and disappointing messages directed at him.
Njie said he was dismayed by the article, noting it created a “fictitious and false” narrative that he believed harmed the NPP’s unity.
Upon confronting Sheriff, he claimed the journalist apologised and proposed a minor correction, which Njie rejected, demanding a full apology instead. According to Njie, this apology never materialised.
During the hearing, the prosecution submitted a copy of The Voice’s September 23 issue as evidence. Njie also noted that he did not recognise the byline name, Binta Jaiteh, associated with the story.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for December 10, where Njie will undergo cross-examination.
