By Omar Bah
The legal battle involving the newly-elected leader of the People’s Progressive Party, Papa Njie and three others, has suffered a setback at the Banjul High Court yesterday.
Mr Njie was elected leader of the former ruling party at the party’s congress last December. But a section of the party, mainly supporters of Mr Njie’s opponent at the congress former vice president BB Dabo, instituted a legal action at the courts seeking a declaration that Mr Njie is not a bonafide member of the party and was not properly appointed.
When the matter came up for hearing the first time, lawyers for Mr Njie argued that the plaintiffs, Alhaji Yaya Ceesay, Dodou Taal and Papa Faal did not have the right or capacity to bring the action. Subsequently, Ceesay and co. applied to the court for the PPP to be included as the fourth plaintiff.
They asked the court to set aside the election Mr Njie and Mr Alhaji Lamin Nanko as national president on account of it not being in accordance with the party’s constitution.
However, the defence team objected to that by filing an affidavit in opposition to add the PPP as a plaintiff.
When the case was called yesterday before Justice BA Bakre, the plaintiffs’ lawyer Ida Drameh said she only received the affidavit in opposition and briefs on Wednesday and would need three days to respond.
Hearing continues on 30 May.
