Following the publication of an article claiming that Muhammad Jah, the CEO of Qcell and Chairman of Q-Group, would take over as the National People’s Party (NPP) flagbearer in the 2026 presidential election, President Adama Barrow filed a civil lawsuit against The Voice Newspaper and its Editor-in-Chief, Musa Sheriff.
The President and his legal team, headed by Senior Counsel Ida Drammeh, vehemently contest the September 23 article’s assertion that President Barrow had selected Jah as his successor. At first, the legal team threatened to take legal action if the newspaper did not remove the report and apologize, as part of their demands. The Voice did not reply, though, and the story was still available online.
President Barrow formally sued the journal and its editor-in-chief at The Gambia’s High Court on October 9, 2024, requesting severe damages, an order to stop the claims from being published further, and any other relief the court thought necessary.
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Seedy SK Njie, who claimed he was misquoted in the article, provided a 12-paragraph affidavit in support of the complaint. Njie clarified that he received information regarding the purported succession plans from Musa Sheriff on September 22. Njie vehemently disputed the allegations and said he would not be participating in an interview. The piece was published in spite of his protests.
Njie denied a number of the article’s assertions in his affidavit, including that top NPP members were “consternated and trepidated” by Jah’s purported succession. He stressed that the idea that the President had stated a wish to cede power or had been convinced otherwise by party members was untrue.
Musa Sheriff, the first defendant, told me that two National People’s Party party members had told him about the purported succession plans that were in the newspaper. I pointed out to him that this was untrue. I also informed him that I would not be interviewing him. even though I informed the first defendant that the information he was purported to have heard regarding Muhammad Jah, the Plaintiff’s (President Barrow’s) successor, was false. He proceeded to publish the aforementioned item in the newspaper. The aforementioned article’s claim that the news struck certain NPP members and high brass like a thunderbolt is untrue. The aforementioned article’s assertion that there is “consternation and trepidation among some top members of the ruling party” is similarly untrue. The Plaintiff stated that it is untrue that he “expressed his desire to relinquish power or that he was talked out of doing so by party members.”
Seedy Njie stated that he thought Musa Sheriff knew the article’s accusation was untrue. He went on to say that it is still unclear if the Q-Group Chairman has been chosen by the President to be his successor in the 2026 election.
“I clarified that this accusation was untrue. Seedy Njie stated, “I was therefore quite surprised that the Defendants went ahead and published the same even though it was obvious that this allegation would have a serious effect on our party that it was disputed.”
The Chief Justice of the Republic of the Gambia has assigned the matter to Hon. Justice G.A. Kwaben.
The Voice Newspaper and Musa Sheriff have received a hearing notice that calls for their appearance in court on October 25, 2024.
