Seedy Njie, Deputy Spokesperson of NPP
By Buba Gagigo
Seedy Njie, Deputy Spokesperson of the National People’s Party (NPP), has called on elders in Massembeh to engage with the family of the United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate in an effort to convince him to withdraw his nomination. Njie cited familial ties between the UDP and NPP candidates as the basis for his appeal.
“Anyone who seeks peace, values love for family, and identifies as a Muslim will not engage in the actions taken by UDP in Massembeh. We all know that Lamin Jarju was our last candidate in the previous election, and we are united in our intention to select him again for the upcoming by-election. After reaching out to several individuals, it became clear that none were willing to stand as UDP candidates. Instead, they turned to Massembeh and selected a candidate who is a close relative of Lamin Jarju (NPP candidate),” Seedy Njie said.
Njie further explained that the UDP candidate, Bakary, is related to Lamin Jarju through his mother, who hails from Jarju’s compound. He also noted that Lamin’s late father had taken care of Bakary, further highlighting the deep family connections between the two.
“If their fathers were alive, the UDP Candidate would not have opposed Lamin Jarjue. There is no greater “Fitna” than this; their actions are intended to divide their family, relations and resident hood and intended to create mayhem and division among themselves. President Barrow stated that if it were the NPP, we would consider familial ties and would not oppose him,” Seedy Njie said.
Njie called on the elders, women, youth, and Imams of Massembeh to come together and engage in dialogue with Bakary’s family, with the goal of convincing him to withdraw his candidacy in the interest of maintaining family unity.
“Those who encouraged and are behind Bakary Jarjue’s candidature are doing more harm to the family, and after the election would leave you divided and laugh at you. It is crucial to be considerate of your neighbors. Even in our religious teachings, the Prophet emphasized the importance of neighbors and relatives. Neighbors can cause one to go to hellfire and that we should be mindful of those around us,” Seedy Njie stated.
Njie concluded by urging the residents of Massembeh and Bakary’s relatives to reflect on the value of family and community ties over political ambitions.
“This chaos is unacceptable in both religion and tradition. I implore the residents of Massembeh and the relatives of Bakary Jarju to remember that there is nothing more valuable than your neighbor. Politics and Politicians may come and go, but families and relations will endure forever. President Adama Barrow instructed us not to insult, bully or disrespect anyone in Masembeh ward, and we bemoan these anti-Islamic and anti-religious actions of UDP,” he said.