Exiled former Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh expelled legislative member Bakary Badjie from the APRC party as tensions rise over the upcoming 2026 presidential elections. Jammeh insists on party unity while distancing himself from Badjie, who supports controversial legislation. Meanwhile, Gambia continues to pursue accountability for past atrocities committed during Jammeh’s regime.
Yahya Jammeh, the former dictator of Gambia, has expelled Bakary Badjie, a member of the National Assembly and a contender for the 2026 presidency, from the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) party. In a recent audio statement to AFP, Jammeh declared the decision effective immediately as of February 24, emphasizing it was non-negotiable. He called for party unity and urged members to attract patriotic supporters instead of tribalists to re-establish their dominance in Gambia.
Jammeh, who ruled from 1994 until his exile in 2017 after a 2016 electoral defeat, remains politically influential. He has publicly expressed ambitions to return to Gambia and lead the APRC despite being in exile in Equatorial Guinea. Bakary Badjie, representative of a dissenting faction within the APRC, announced his candidacy for presidency on February 18 but lacked Jammeh’s endorsement, indicating no communication between them regarding his campaign.
Notably, Badjie was among the lawmakers who supported a contentious bill aimed at lifting the 2015 prohibition on female genital mutilation, which was ultimately rejected by the Gambian parliament last year. Jammeh’s move to expel Badjie coincides with recent developments from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which is advancing plans for a special tribunal to address atrocities committed during Jammeh’s rule. The Gambian government in 2022 backed a commission’s recommendation for prosecution of 70 individuals, including Jammeh, for abuses carried out during his administration.
Despite facing political challenges, Gambia, a former British colony with a population of two million, ranks as one of the least developed nations globally, according to UN reports.
Yahya Jammeh’s expulsion of Bakary Badjie highlights the ongoing political strife within the APRC as well as Jammeh’s continued influence despite being in exile. Badjie’s aspirations for the presidential candidacy set against Jammeh’s authority underscore a significant power struggle. Additionally, the looming potential legal consequences stemming from ECOWAS’s plans indicate a commitment to addressing past human rights violations in Gambia, amidst the country’s continued underdevelopment.
Original Source: newscentral.africa
