Banjul North Lawmaker Defies Barrow’s Threat, Holds President Responsible for His Safety

By Staff Writer

Banjul North National Assembly member Modou Lamin B. Bah has vowed not to be silenced after President Adama Barrow threatened him with severe consequences for participating in a youth-led protest at State House, which the president described as a treasonable offense.

Speaking in Banjul, Mr. Barrow accused the lawmaker of encouraging young people to protest at State House, warning that such actions would not be tolerated.

“He accompanied young people to protest at State House. That’s a serious crime; it’s a treasonable offense,” Mr. Barrow said, adding that former President Yahya Jammeh would have responded with deadly force.

“If this was Jammeh’s time, he would have shot all of them, including the National Assembly member,” he said.

The president issued a further warning: “If he dares go there again, he will not repeat it. What we do to him, he will not forget until his death.”

Mr. Barrow also accused Mr. Bah of promoting discord and urged Banjul North voters to replace him in the next parliamentary election.

Responding in a statement dated Oct. 20, Mr. Bah condemned the remarks as an attack on democratic freedoms, insisting that the candlelight demonstration was peaceful, lawful and protected under Section 25 of The Gambia’s Constitution.

“We held candles, not weapons. We sang for justice, not for violence. We stood for light in darkness,” he said.

“To be threatened by the Head of State for such an act is profoundly disappointing and dangerously out of touch with the democracy we all fought for.”

Mr. Bah said the president’s remarks had raised serious concerns about his safety and that of his family.

“If in case anything happens to me or any member of my family, in any form or at any time, I hold Mr. Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia, personally responsible,” he declared.

The lawmaker called on the Inspector General of Police to guarantee his family’s security and urged the National Assembly leadership to defend parliamentary independence and immunity.

He also appealed to the National Human Rights Commission, The Gambia Bar Association, civil society organizations and international bodies, including ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations and the European Union, to monitor what he described as a shrinking space for dissent.

Despite the warning, Mr. Bah insisted he would continue representing his constituents.

“They can threaten one of us, but they cannot extinguish the light of all of us,” he said. “I remain resolute. I remain your servant.”