Activist demands Deputy Speaker Seedy Njie resign after leaked audio

By Alieu Jallow

Activist Madi Jobarteh has called for the immediate resignation or removal of National Assembly Deputy Speaker Seedy Njie after a leaked audio recording allegedly captured the lawmaker making ethnically charged remarks and admitting to influencing dismissals in public institutions.

Jobarteh described the comments attributed to Njie as “despicable,” saying they breach constitutional protections, undermine human rights, and damage the credibility of the Deputy Speaker’s office and the National Assembly.

He accused Njie of “weaponising ethnicity” and targeting people over perceived political loyalties, and said the recording contains admissions that Njie influenced the dismissal of former GRTS staff Abubacarr Darboe and threatened the Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Vice‑President, Ousman Ceesay.

“The audio leak of Seedy Njie speaking in a meeting with the father of Omar P. Jallow and other officials in his residence, if confirmed, warrants Seedy Njie to leave public office immediately,” Jobarteh said. He urged MPs to invoke Sections 91 and 93 of the 1997 Constitution to remove Njie, arguing the alleged conduct amounts to contempt of the Assembly and gross misconduct.

Jobarteh warned the remarks risk stoking ethnic division in a country long praised for peaceful coexistence. “The fact is the Mandinka forms the majority in the composition of the ethnic groups of The Gambia. For anyone to deny a Mandinka person a position in government is to assault the dignity of all Gambians,” he said.

He also accused the Deputy Speaker of political intimidation against Omar P. Jallow and his community for inviting opposition members to local events, calling the alleged comments hate speech and a threat to national stability.

The leaked audio has sparked public debate and growing calls for clarification and accountability over the recording’s authenticity and contents.