The National Assembly Member for Tallinding, Musa Badjie, has strongly refuted claims by the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) that dozens of women defected to its ranks during a recent political gathering in the area.
Speaking at a United Democratic Party (UDP)-organized meeting on Friday, Badjie dismissed the NPP’s statement as “pathetic,” accusing the party of deliberately misleading the public.
“This is not a gathering Tallinding holds in high regard, but when false allegations are made, especially against decent people, they deserve a response,” Badjie told supporters.
The Tallinding legislator said the NPP’s claim—that a group of women had declared allegiance to the ruling party—is baseless and politically motivated. He said the women identified as defectors were not members of the UDP and are not known in the party’s local structures.
“There is no truth in what the NPP said,” Badjie stated. “The women leaders of the UDP—the Yai Kompins—organized this meeting to set the record straight and reassure our supporters, especially those outside Tallinding.”
According to Badjie, NPP’s repeated announcements of defections have become part of a strategy to manipulate public opinion.
“Every month, they say 10, 30, or even 20,000 people joined them. That’s their modus operandi now. But no one here knows these people,” he said. “In politics, people switch parties. That’s normal. But when you make claims, they should be based on truth.”
Badjie argued that the NPP’s approach disrespects local political dynamics, especially in communities like Tallinding where political engagement is strong and well-established.
“They said 30 people defected. Then someone else said 44. Soon, we’ll hear 50. The number keeps changing. That’s how you know it’s a fabricated narrative,” he said.
He also criticized the NPP for consistently centering women in their defection stories. “They know the women are the backbone of our political base here, so they try to create the impression that they’re switching sides. But none of our Yai Kompins recognized any of the so-called defectors.”
The lawmaker added that while defections happen in all democracies, the NPP’s claims would only be credible if they acknowledged where the individuals came from or if they were politically affiliated in the first place.
“If they had said these were just ordinary citizens joining their party, that would have been fine. But to say they came from the UDP? That’s false,” he said.
Badjie wrapped up his address by urging the NPP to focus less on political showmanship and more on governance.
“They should be talking about fixing our muddy roads and reducing the price of rice. That’s what matters to people in Tallinding—not staged defections,” he said.
The UDP remains the largest opposition party in The Gambia, while the NPP continues to assert its dominance ahead of the next round of political contests.
