Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – In a lengthy and highly charged audio message from his exile in Equatorial Guinea, former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has vehemently denounced Hon. Amie Colley of Somita, an independent National Assembly Member (NAM) for Foni Berefet who recently switched allegiance from Jammeh’s “No Alliance” APRC party to President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party (NPP)-led coalition. Jammeh not only announced Colley’s expulsion from the APRC but also leveled a series of personal accusations and bizarre insinuations against her.
The former president’s tirade, which has been circulating widely, primarily focuses on what he perceives as Colley’s betrayal and dishonesty. Jammeh vehemently denies Colley’s claims that he was pleased with her decision to join the Barrow camp, stating, “Contrary to what she’s claiming, that I was happy, I was pleased when she told me that she was going to Adama Barrow… That’s a lie. It’s not true.”
He insists he only spoke to her a mere “seven times” during her entire tenure as an APRC “No Alliance” MP, refuting her assertion that she spoke to him more than any other executive member.
Perhaps the most startling aspect of Jammeh’s outburst was his highly personal and unfounded accusations. He repeatedly suggested that President Barrow’s alleged attempts to meet Colley alone at State House carried “sinister” motives.
Jammeh claimed to have warned Colley that going to State House alone could lead to her disappearance or even death, saying, “If it is not a sinister thing, sinister it can be bad. It can mean you going to sleep with him. That’s what I told her.”
He further elaborated on a bizarre theory that a marabout might have told Barrow to sacrifice a “Jola woman” named “Colley,” linking it to the alleged death of an individual named “Colley” at State House, a death he believes was a sacrifice.
Jammeh also delved into Colley’s private life, expressing strong disapproval of her public interactions with fellow politician Yahya Tamba.
He recounted incidents where Colley and Tamba allegedly cut cakes together and fed each other, calling it “unacceptable” and “rubbish.”
He insinuated that such behavior was inappropriate for a married woman and even threatened, “If it were me, I’d break your jaws into pieces” if his own wife behaved similarly.
The former president further detailed an alleged attempt by Colley to visit him in Equatorial Guinea for an extended period, which he claims to have firmly rejected.
He stated he refused her visit due to concerns about her husband’s perception, his own past false accusations of rape, and a general policy against women visiting him in exile, hinting at a “very evil mission” behind her desire to visit.
Jammeh made it unequivocally clear that Amie Colley is expelled from the APRC. He challenged her legitimacy as an MP, stating that the people who voted for her under the APRC banner were betrayed. He even suggested that there is a “loophole” in Gambian law that would allow her constituents or the APRC to challenge her seat in court, potentially forcing a by-election.
“You cannot use their vote to be a member of the parliament,” he asserted.
The ex-president concluded his address with a stern warning to Colley, telling her not to mention his name to President Barrow, or she would “regret it.” He declared, “As of now, I have nothing to do with you… It’s finished. It’s finished. I don’t want traitors.”
The audio message, delivered with Jammeh’s characteristic authoritarian and often superstitious tone, highlights the enduring personal and political tensions surrounding his legacy and the continued fragmentation within the APRC following his departure from power.
For observers in The Gambia and across West Africa, it provides a window into the volatile and often deeply personal nature of Gambian politics.
