The United Democratic Party (UDP) has strongly refuted what the opposition party called “recent false and divisive statements” made by Hon. Seedy Njie on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez on West Coast Radio.
The UDP in a statement issued out on Wednesday, described Njie’s accusations as “dangerous fabrications and a desperate attempt to mislead the Gambian people.”
Hon. Njie talking to West Coast Radio accused UDP: of tribalism, blocking the 2020 Draft Constitution, and orchestrating voter intimidation against non-Mandinka communities. According to the UDP the allegations are “baseless and reckless.”
“The UDP is the most diverse and inclusive political party in The Gambia. From its inception, it has drawn support from every region, ethnic group, and faith,” the statement noted.
According to UDP, it is the ruling NPP and its allies who have continuously used tribal rhetoric to manipulate and divide the people for political gain.
The statement highlights that what Gambians and the UDP want and expect; are free, fair and transparent elections so that only Gambians can elect their leaders noting that is what election integrity is all about.
“It is a deliberate action of misleading the public for Hon. Njie to claim that the UDP deployed armed men to intimidate non-Mandinka voters, or that a UDP government would deport ethnic minorities.”
“These are dangerous, tribalist lies designed to provoke fear and tension. The UDP stands for one Gambia, one people, where all citizens, regardless of ethnicity, are protected, respected, and treated equally under the law,” the statement noted.
“This is the same Seedy Njie who defended former President Jammeh’s refusal to accept the election results of 2016 and voted for a state of emergency that nearly plunged The Gambia into chaos. He followed Jammeh into exile in Equatorial Guinea, only to return and secure a political lifeline through a nomination by President Barrow.”
“Someone with such a track record of undermining democracy and supporting dictatorship has no credibility to speak about patriotism or national unity,” the statement added.
UDP calls on Gambians to reject tribal politics and uphold the values of truth, democracy, and unity.
“Let us focus on building a country where all Gambians—Mandinka, Fula, Jola, Serer, Wolof, Aku and others—can live and thrive in peace and dignity,” the statement concluded.
