Claim: On the 13th of February, 2025, Seedy Njie, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia and Spokesperson of the National People’s Party (NNP), stated in an interview on Kerr Fatou that blood relatives have never contested an election against each other.
Source: Hon. Seedy Njie, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia and Deputy Spokesperson of the National People’s Party (NPP).
Verdict: False.
Full Text
To confirm this claim by Hon. Seedy Njie, our researcher consulted individuals and other materials on political contests in the Gambia. We have found that there were instances where close relatives contested against each other during elections.
One notable instance occurred during the 1992 parliamentary elections when Dr. Omar Touray of the People’s Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) contested against his biological brother, Mr. Sajor Touray of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), for the Sami constituency seat. This case is a clear example of direct electoral competition between close family members.
This fact is further supported by a Facebook post from political commentator Pa Samba Jaw, who stated, “The claim by Seedy Njie in his interview with Fatou Touray of Kerr Fatou that blood relatives have never contested an election against each other is blatantly false. In the 1992 parliamentary and presidential elections, Dr. Omar Touray of PDOIS stood against his blood brother (same mother and father), Mr. Sajor Touray of the PPP for the Sami seat.”
A similar case occurred in the 1997 parliamentary elections when Kebba Lang Camara of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) ran against his cousin, Yankuba Camara of the United Democratic Party (UDP), in the Sara Kunda sabach Sangal constituency. Kebba and Yankuba are from the same grandparents; despite their familial ties, they represented opposing political parties in a highly competitive race.
Further confirmation of such occurrences comes from a long-term active local politician in Niumi with decades of political experience. According to this source, another case dates back to the 1972 parliamentary elections in Upper Niumi, where Landing Jallow Sonko of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) contested against Lang Sonko of the National Convention Party (NCP). The two candidates came from closely related families and lived in opposing compounds in Sika village. This election further illustrates that political competition among blood relatives is not a new phenomenon in Gambian politics.
While these three cases stated here are not conclusive on close relatives contesting each other during elections, this has shown the claim of Seedy Njie to be inaccurate. These instances demonstrate that political affiliations in The Gambia can sometimes take precedence over family relationships, where individual political ideologies can outweigh traditional family loyalties in electoral contests.
Steps Taken to Verify the Claim: to verify this claim, historical records of Gambian parliamentary elections were examined, with a focus on candidate lists and their political affiliations. Secondary sources, including reputable news archives and political analyses, were consulted to confirm the familial relationships between the candidates. Additionally, social media posts and statements from individuals knowledgeable about Gambian political history were reviewed to provide further context and evidence.
In conclusion, the claim by Seedy Njie that blood relatives have never contested against each other in Gambian elections is false. The cases of Dr. Omar Touray and Mr. Sajor Touray in 1992, Kebba Lang Camara and Yankuba Camara in 1997, and Landing Jallow Sonko and Long Long Sonko in 1972 clearly illustrate that family members have indeed competed against each other in Gambian electoral history.
By Ebrima Mbye
Intern