By Alagie Manneh
The GDC party has hit back at comments made by Seedy Njie that its leader Mamma Kandeh is “attempting to incite violence to destabilise” Gambia in December.
Njie told The Standard that Kandeh could be in league with “hooligans” to force Barrow out of the presidency after three years, and called on Ecowas to reprimand him and his “unguarded remarks”. His comments followed Kandeh’s statements that if Barrow fails to relinquish power after three years it could imperil The Gambia’s security.
But the GDC in rebutting Njie’s comments, said the person who got infamy “by sending mothers and children from their homes to seek refuge in foreign land” has no moral base to preach constitutionalism and democracy to them. They branded Seedy Njie a “criminal and a self-centered interest-seeker”.
The GDC who spoke to The Standard through its Secretary for Finance and Economic Affairs, Ahmad Kah, yesterday said: “It was your reckless support, lobbying, and disrespect for our constitution that brought Ecowas to our soil. I believe if the likes of you were not in close contact with Jammeh he might not have changed his mind about stepping down. This nation is still trying to heal because of people like yourself… There is no soul in this country you haven’t hurt when you sent women and children homeless to Karang [in Senegal] and other places.
“Kandeh is simply fulfilling his obligation as an opposition leader by reminding the government of how they got to the presidency. GDC considers you a self-centered interest seeker who will jump from one camp to the other to make ends meet. One can even conclude that you will someday jump from Barrow to Mamma Kandeh, as you jumped from Jammeh to Barrow. You should learn that not everything that glitters is gold. Was it not fake people like yourself who said during the impasse that you do not recognise Barrow as president? You made history when you held us to ransom, forcing us to swear-in into office our first president outside The Gambia. Be reminded of your unruly behaviour in January 2017, when you declared that Yahya Jammeh will not step down, and almost sent the country into chaos and mayhem.
Mothers broke their backbones by carrying babies for more than five hours running for their lives, and babies cried their hearts out, under very hot sun; poor and single families emptied their life savings to flee this country, all because of your greed for position. Of all people, you should be the last person to talk to Gambians about national security, much more accusing Mamma Kandeh of inciting violence.”
Kah also claimed Njie visited the GDC during the impasse to lobby for support to reject the 2016 election results. He said: “Kandeh told Seedy Njie to tell Jammeh that Gambians were very patient with him for 22 years. All we ask of him is to give us back our country. GDC will never contest this election.”
Kah asked Seedy Njie to apologise to Gambians for his “open disobedience and disregard” for our constitution, “the same constitution he is now claiming to be safeguarding”.
