By Omar Bah
Former president Yahya Jammeh has called on supporters of the “APRC No-To-Alliance” faction to desist from trading insults and remain united, warning that the party’s internal hostility could force him to take disciplinary action.
On Friday, Jammeh released almost nine new audio messages from his exile home in Equatorial Guinea directed principally at his supporters. In one of the messages, lasting about 25 minutes, Jammeh presented himself as the ultimate lever of power in his movement.
“This is my party and I don’t like people insulting each other,” Jammeh said in the message to his followers.
He said he was shocked by accusations that he authorised one of his well known supporters Omar Sanneh better known as “Baitullah” to direct sulfurous insults at people, saying he does not even communicate with him.
Jammeh says he abhors insults and does not countenance anyone to engage in insults on the pretext of defending him saying even as head of state, crowds gather to heap invectives on him but he did not retaliate.
He described the party’s earlier reconciliation attempts as “45% digging, 55% burying,” and said the continuing division was disappointing.
While he said he was “not ready to remove anyone from the party at this stage,” he could be compelled to act if change does not occur.