Foñi NAM and 2026 Presidential Candidate Bakary Badjie Calls Barrow’s SoNA “Misleading”

Written by: The Fatu Network News Desk

Bakary Badjie, National Assembly Member for Foñi Bintang and a 2026 presidential candidate, has criticised President Adama Barrow’s State of the Nation Address (SoNA), describing it as “misleading” in remarks reported by The Standard.

Badjie disputed claims that the dalasi is stable, arguing it is “constantly depreciating” against major currencies, and accused the government of denying diaspora voting rights despite praising remittance contributions.

He also called for deeper agricultural mechanisation to achieve food self-sufficiency, questioned the status of a 2023 pledge to create 150,000 youth jobs, and linked rising irregular migration to unemployment and low incomes, warning that even police officers and teachers are leaving the country.

On security, he criticised the president for not addressing Foñi, saying residents are facing spillover from the Casamance conflict, including reported shelling and displacement, and accused Barrow of failing to show concern for affected communities.