By Haddy Touray
National Democratic Party (NDP) Leader, Kebba Madi Bojang says the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) has been seeking to persuade him to return to its ranks while also attempting to undermine his political party.
Bojang, a former NPP member who later broke away from the ruling party, made the claim during an appearance on Kerr Fatou’s The Brunch Show.
He said the NPP had been more persistent in its efforts to bring him back than other opposition parties that had approached him for possible political cooperation.
“Of course they are doing both,” Bojang said when asked whether the ruling party was simultaneously trying to recruit him and weaken the NDP.
“They are trying to convince us to join them but also working to undermine our political activities. NDP is a relevant entity in the political space,” he said.
Bojang did not provide specific examples to substantiate his claim that the NPP was working to undermine the NDP.
He also dismissed suggestions that a recent NPP political gathering in Jambur had weakened his support in the community, saying his longstanding record of service there continued to attract public backing.
Bojang further alleged that the ruling party brought supporters from other parts of the country to boost attendance at the Jambur gathering.
He claimed that President Adama Barrow and senior NPP officials were aware of how the event was organized, but provided no evidence to support the allegation.
The NPP has not publicly responded to Bojang’s claims.
Bojang also described his questioning by the police and the Ministry of Agriculture over his distribution of fertilizer to farmers as politically motivated.
He maintained that he purchased the fertilizer locally and did not import it, as he said authorities had alleged.
The NDP leader said the fertiliser was purchased from a company operating in The Gambia and argued that the Ministry of Agriculture was aware of the supplier.
He said any concerns over the product’s authenticity or quality should therefore be directed to the company that supplied it.
According to Bojang, the supplier imports chemical components used to manufacture fertilizer locally and should be registered and approved by the Ministry of Agriculture.
“This is all politics, and I am disappointed when the police and the ministry questioned me on this,” he said. “Because as a citizen trying to help our farmers, they should be empowering me instead of fighting me on this.”
Bojang also disputed an alleged claim in correspondence from the Agriculture Ministry that he had imported the fertiliser.
He insisted that he bought the product in The Gambia and argued that public institutions should serve citizens regardless of their political affiliations.
He added that if the fertiliser were ultimately found to be defective or otherwise problematic, he would also be affected because he had purchased it in good faith from what he described as a registered company.
Bojang urged the authorities to focus their inquiries on the supplier and the circumstances under which the fertiliser was produced and sold, rather than on his decision to purchase and distribute it to farmers.
The NDP, which is seeking recognition as a political party, has yet to be registered by the Independent Electoral Commission.