President Adama Barrow claims in a comprehensive 13-paragraph affidavit supporting his lawsuit against The Voice Newspaper and its Editor-in-Chief, Musa Sheriff, that the publication is trying to undermine his chances of winning reelection in the 2026 presidential election.
President Barrow filed the legal complaint in response to a September 23 report that said he had selected Muhammed Jah, the chairman of Q-Group and CEO of Qcell, as the National People’s Party (NPP) candidate for the upcoming election. According to this source, Barrow had approved Jah as his successor, a claim that Barrow and his legal team, led by Ida Drammeh, vehemently dispute. At first, they demanded an apology and a retraction from the publication, threatening legal action if their demands were not met. But The Voice didn’t reply, so the article was left up on the internet.
President Barrow formally sued the newspaper and the sheriff in The Gambia’s High Court on October 9, 2024, requesting severe damages, an injunction to prevent the accusations from being published further, and any other remedy the court saw necessary.
On October 25, 2024, Justice Kwaben of the Kanifing High Court heard the matter. Counsel Lamin S. Camara defended The Voice and Sheriff, while Counsel Ida Drammeh represented President Barrow. Camara told the judge that he will address the accusations by November 15 after receiving the legal paperwork from Barrow’s team on October 16, 2024.
Affidavits from Barrow, the NPP’s leader and secretary general, and Seedy Njie, the party’s deputy spokesperson, support his complaint. Barrow stressed in his declaration that the piece was intended to damage his integrity and reputation, which would hurt his chances of winning the presidency in 2026.
“Even if the article’s claim that I am creating an exit strategy is untrue, it was still written. Furthermore, it is untrue that I have ever selected Muhammad Jah to be my heir. Furthermore, as the post of president of The Gambia can only be decided after national elections, it is incorrect that I have the authority to name someone to the office. The Defendants (Musa Sheriff & Voice Newspaper) intended and were understood to mean the following in their natural and ordinary meaning: I no longer want to be president of The Gambia; I do not plan to run as the NPP’s flag bearer in the 2026 elections; Despite my position as the NPP’s secretary general, the NPP cannot rely on what I say to them. According to Barrow’s affidavit.
He added that the piece had seriously harmed him, causing a public uproar and harming his reputation.
“I am unreliable and not a man of my word; I appointed Muhammad Jah as my successor; I gave him my position as the NPP party’s flag bearer without first consulting the NPP; this transfer was done in a ceremony; In his affidavit of statement, President Barrow stated, “The NPP is unhappy with my said decision; I am guilty of choosing Muhammad Jah as my successor without consulting or knowing the NPP; the NPP was not a party that operates in a manner that the public and the party faithful can have confidence in either me or the NPP.”According to the Gambian President, a story in the Voice Newspaper has caused public scandal, disdain, and disdain, harming his reputation and credit.
Despite the article’s “untrue” substance, President Barrow asserted that it has generated a lot of national and international conversation.
He revealed that he gave Ida D. Drameh & Associates, his legal team, instructions to write to Musa Sheriff requesting an apology for the publishing. The defendants were given the opportunity to apologize, but they chose not to.
President Barrow also noted that Musa Sheriff and the Voice Newspaper have since released more pieces expressing their refusal to issue an apology or guarantee that they will not spread such “untrue stories” in the future.
“I think the Defendants (Musa Sheriff and Voice Newspaper) published the aforementioned statements out of malice or retaliation against me, among other reasons, to harm my reputation within the NPP and my chances of winning reelection in the upcoming elections, thus increasing the chances of others in the 2026 elections.”
President Barrow claimed, “The Defendants (Musa Sheriff and Voice Newspaper) published the said words in order to increase the circulation of the said newspaper and, with a view to making a profit from the sale of the said newspaper and of advertising space therein, to dilute and demoralize the members of the NPP and damage me and my standing as a politician and party member.”
President Barrow voiced his worry that the defendants are dangerous and will probably keep publishing such articles against him because Musa Sheriff and Voice Newspaper have refused to issue an apology.
Since then, the Defendants (Musa Sheriff and Voice Newspaper) have released additional articles that damage the Plaintiff’s reputation and political standing, are not fact-based, and demonstrate that they have no intention of apologizing or refraining from publishing similar works in the future. President Barrow stated in his 13-paragraph affidavit of statement, “The defendants circulated the letter written by my legal practitioners to other newspapers and to others in The Gambia because they have no intention of apologizing.”
In his affidavit, Seedy SK Njie asserted that the newspaper misquoted him. He clarified that Musa Sheriff contacted him on September 22 with details about the purported succession plans. Njie clarified that he was not doing an interview and refuted these allegations. Nevertheless, in spite of his protests, the article was published.
