Former Gambia Moral Congress strongwoman Tida Kijera met with officials of the United Democratic Party on Sunday to officially join the party and endorse UDP leader Ousainou Darboe.

Mrs Kijera was this week sacked from Gambia Moral Congress only for her to quickly announce she is joining UDP.

She was supposed to meet Mr Darboe personally but the UDP leader is recovering from a minor fracture to the leg he sustained in Jarra.

Mrs Kijera instead met with top chieftains of UDP such as Amadou Sanneh, Aja Yamoundow Yabo, Oley Dibba and Momodou Sanneh at Darboe’s office in Pipeline.

By Matty Senghore

People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism leader Halifa Sallah campaigned in Brikama Jamisa on Saturday evening after returning to Banjul from the countryside where he had been campaigning.

The experienced 68-year-old politician is taking a shot at the presidency for the last time in his over three decades career as a politician.

Speaking in Jamisa on Saturday evening, Mr Sallah warned that The Gambia is at a two-road intersection where one of the roads leads to development and comfort and the other leading to poverty and suffering.

“Gambia is at an intersection. One of the roads is the road of comfort and then you have the other road which is the road lack of awareness and poverty. If you’re ready, we can walk the former road and make The Gambia an example in the world in five years. But if you choose the road of poverty and vileness, we will not go there, we will forge a different history,” Mr Sallah told a crowd of supporters.

The PDOIS leader also sought to sensitize citizens regarding their vote and how they should view it.

He said: “Know that it’s you who own The Gambia and its sovereignty. Do not allow to be made slaves. Your vote is not owned by any tribe, your vote is not own by any kabilo, your vote is not owned by any religion.”

The presidential election will take place in one week’s time and Mr Sallah is one of six people, all men, who are interested in taking State House including President Adama Barrow who is seeking a second term.

Independent Essa Faal campaigned in Bundung on Saturday telling citizens there the rising cost of living in The Gambia is caused by a government that doesn’t care about the people.

The Turnaround leader said: “The way the country is being run doesn’t make sense. If you have a family, it’s then a problem as you have to depend on a brother or your child or you beg. Do you know what caused it? A government that lack knowledge, a government that doesn’t care about the people.

“A government that cares about its people who think about how they are living. You have heard the man say rent is expensive. Senegal has a program to reduce rent. Do you know they can do that here too? But they will not do it. Have you seen them come up with a program to reduce the cost of rice?”

The former Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission leader prosecutor is one of six candidates in next month’s presidential election.

Mr Faal launched to fame when he took the TRRC job and is now hoping to become the country’s next president.

By Dawda Baldeh

Hamat NK Bah, leader of the National Reconciliation Party (NRP), has frowned local election observers and accused them of given misleading information to the public.

He said the reports that appear on newspapers which read, ‘Gov’t using state resources and vehicles in campaign’ is totally false and misleading.

Bah who is also the tourism minister was speaking on Thursday during a rally at Gunjur Kombo South.

A newspaper story quoted local election observers that the NPP presidential candidate (President Adama Barrow) was using state resources to campaign.

But Mr Bah countered: “This is not true. Barrow is still the president of the Republic of The Gambia until the 19th of January 2022. The state is responsible of his security, well-being and welfare including himself and his family. All they talk about was using government vehicles on his campaign.

“The securities have vehicles that they own in their institutions. They are responsible for the security of the president and his delegation and they must use their vehicles to secure the president.

“We are in a democratic state but let’s be honest. Barrow is the only president I knew in Africa who abundant the state vehicles and uses his own during campaign. All that they (Observers) said was that the Barrow is using the state vehicles in his campaign.

“Many African head of state learn from him. The simplicity of this man cannot be put into questions by so-called observers. We will not accept that.”

Thousands of United Democratic Party supporters filled Brikama’s largest meeting ground on Saturday to listen to leader Ousainou Darboe.

UDP held a rally at Brikama SSP on Saturday evening but Mr Darboe who is recovering from a leg injury missed the rally.

The UDP leader however addressed the rally remotely from his Pipeline residence warning citizens against voting for anyone else other than his party.

“If you give your vote to any other box other than UDP’s box, let it be known that that vote is destroyed,” Mr Darboe said.

The warning comes exactly a week to presidential election on December 4 in which Mr Darboe is looking to stun his political son President Adama Barrow who is seeking a second term.

It will be the first presidential election since the end of former President Yahya Jammeh’s dictatorial rule which lasted for 22 years marked by extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of political opponents.

Police on Saturday confirmed the death of a 14-year-old boy during a wrestling match with another teen.

Police said two students aged 15 and 14 were wrestling but one of the kids died from the stunt.

Police spokesman Lamin Njie told The Fatu Network: “We can confirm the incident at Ngayen Sanjal in which two students 15 years old and 14 years were wrestling.

“The 14 year old who was wrestled to the ground was later rushed to the Ngayen Sanjal health center where he was pronounced dead.”

President Adama Barrow has asked his supporters to ignore his critics in the Diaspora as they are just idle citizens who do not have a job and being sponsored by political parties in The Gambia to smear him.

President Barrow have the request on Friday in Brikama during his rally there attended by thousands of citizens.

The president said: “Ignore them, these people in the diaspora talking. They don’t even have what to eat. They don’t also even have a chicken house in The Gambia here. It is those parties who put money together and take it to them in order for them to be there talking malarkey talk just to sow discord among Gambians. These are the people who do not work.

“But those who have jobs and are into serious jobs are not into maligning Gambia and malarkey talk. These people support Gambia. But those people whom you know some came to look for a job from me and did not get it and went and became opposition. You have a lot of them.

“They said I want to bring dictatorship but I want Gambia to be like how all countries in the world are run. There is time for politics and there is time for work.

“A lot of them are hypocrites. A lot of them are travelling with diplomatic passport and it’s me who gave it to them. Because I realized they are Gambians and are responsible people and are also party leaders. But all their travel, they go character-assassinate Gambia and myself. I am a man of peace and I want peace for this country and anyone who is a man of peace should join me to build this country.”

The country’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has formally appealed the judgment handed down by Hon Justice Amina S. Ceesay in the High Court on 23^rd November 2021, in the matter between ISMAILA CEESAY& ANOR V IEC

The IEC says whilst its appeal is ongoing the institution is committed to the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections, maintaining that it is still waiting for the Citizens’ Alliance to comply with the court ruling.

Pa Makan Khan is Director of Communications at the IEC he was responded to allegations made by the Presidential Candidate of the Citizens’ Alliance in an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network at Election House.

Dr Ismaila Ceesay claims that the commission is vehemently bent on depriving them (CA) of running for the 4^th December Election even after a court ruling made it clear that they (IEC) acted outside the law.

“They are now bent on frustrating the judgement by filing an appeal only to delay and forestall my opportunity to run for president. But they cannot stop us, as a matter of fact, we shall start our campaign on Sunday.” Dr Ceesay said in an earlier press conference.

Pa Khan says the new names CA has provided are not considered since they are not in line with the court’s direction.

Gambia Moral Congress leader Mai Ahmad Fatty has emphatically stated his party is not created to rely on any political party for political relevance and survival – as he announced he will be standing in next month’s presidential election.

“We did not create GMC to rely on other political parties of their political leaders for our political relevance or survival. No. And definitely no,” Mr Fatty told reporters on Saturday afternoon at his residence in Kotu.

In announcing his candidacy, Mr Fatty said: “Today, having regard to the state of the country, and confident of our ability to fix the urgent challenges facing our country, I have great privilege and honour to declare I will stand as candidate for president of the Republic of The Gambia, as flagbearer of Gambia Moral Congress.”

If he contests, it will be the first time Gambia Moral Congress is fielding a candidate in a presidential election since its formation in 2009.

The announcement came just a few days after GMC won its court battle against the Independent Electoral Commission regarding the rejection of Mr Fatty’s nomination.

The presidential election is on December 4.

Barely one week to Gambia’s Presidential Election, a recent election survey, “The Gambia Pre-election Opinion Poll Survey 2021,” done by the Center for Policy, Research and Strategic Studies shows that incumbent President Adama Barrow will win the December 4 poll in all regions.

According to the survey, the proportion of respondents is high in Banjul, followed by West Coast Region (WCR) and Central River Region (CRR) and low in Upper River Region (URR). In all regions, it indicates that President Barrow’s National Peoples Party (NPP) wins the voting intentions of Gambians with the greatest performance in URR and CRR.

While there are undecided voters in all regions, the proportion of respondents in the regions that are undecided is not as substantial as it was in the first opinion poll survey conducted mid this year. This shows that across all the regions, most respondents have now decided on which candidate to elect. The survey says Banjul and Brikama have the most undecided voters among the respondents.

Statistically, 44% of respondents revealed that NPP will win the presidential election. 24% said Ousainou Darboe’s (UDP) will win. 5% of the respondents said Mama Kandeh’s Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) will win while 2% goes to Halifa Sallah’s Peoples Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS). 1% each goes to Abdoulei Jammeh’s National Unity Party (NUP) and independent candidate Essa Faal respectively. 24% of the respondents reported that they could not decide the winner of the said election.

In summary, the poll puts President Barrow in first position; Ousainou Darboe, second; Mama Kandeh, third; Halifa Sallah, fourth; while Abdoulei Jammeh and Essa Faal battle for fifth position.

Tida Kijera will officially endorse UDP leader Ousainou Darboe on Sunday as she announced she is joining the party.

Mrs Kijera who was Gambia Moral Congress’s most powerful woman was sacked by the party this week in a development that has surprised many.

The woman politician updated her Facebook profile picture on Friday with a new photo of her and UDP leader Ousainou Darboe.

She said she will be meeting Darboe on Sunday to officially endorse him.

Scores of citizens on Friday attended the burial of the mother of top National People’s Party chieftain Seedy Njie in Chamen, Nianija.

Mr Njie’s mother, Kaddijatou Jallow, passed away on Thursday and was laid to rest on Friday at her native in Chamen Nianija.

A massive crowd of mourners attended the funeral among them Vice President Dr Isatou Touray, Hamat Bah, Dr Demba Sabally and Imam Muhammed Lamin Touray.

A regional delegation led by the governor of CRR Abba Sanyang also attended the funeral.

By: Maimouna Bah

President Barrow’s National People’s Party (NPP) leads voting intention of male and female voters in the forthcoming presidential election in The Gambia. This is according to an opinion poll report done by Center for Policy, Research and Strategic Studies (CePRass) and National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

The report states that NPP leads with 42% among female respondents and 45% among males. It indicates that opposition strongman Ousainou Darboe’s United Democratic Party (UDP) takes second with 23% among female respondents and 24% among males.

From the report, NPP leads among males by 21% and 19% among females.

Gambian American actor and Real Estate business man, Alex Darboe this week closed on a 30.5 million Dalasi Real Estate deal in America and donated 50,000 to his native Gunjur towards the building of a multipurpose skills center.

Mr Darboe migrated to the United States more than a decade ago and has gone on to become one of the most successful young Gambians in the US.

He confirmed his recent success in real estate to The Fatu Network.

The country’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) lacks both the capacity and competence to conduct the December 2021 Presidential Election the leader and presidential candidate of the Citizens Alliance (CA) Party has said. According to Dr Ismaila Ceesay, the commission is ill-prepared for the task and as such has resulted in victimising his party.

“The Chairman of the IEC is Weak and does not seem to be in charge of the institution. The IEC is acting in bad faith, they are discriminatory and we have very little faith and trust in them. Their action is spiteful and vindictive and we cannot accept it,” Dr Ceesay said.

He called on civil society organisations, International Observers and the media to take note of the injustice stating clearly that they as a party have been pushed to the wall.

“IEC action has the potential to derail the electoral process and undermine the peace and stability of the Gambia if not checked,” Dr Ceesay said.

The High Court of The Gambia on 23^rd November 2021 handed down judgement in favour of Citizens’ Alliance after clearly establishing that the IEC acted in violation of the country’s Elections Act.

“They are vehemently bent on depriving us of running for the 4^th December Election. But they cannot stop us. As a matter of fact, we shall start our campaign on Sunday,” Dr Ceesay said sternly

Meanwhile, Dr Ceesay revealed that yesterday at 11:40 the party submitted fresh nomination papers containing 331 signatures in accordance with the court ruling.

By Amara Thoronka 

Gambians go to the polls on Saturday 4th December 2021 to elect their President. As moral guarantors of peace, Gambia Supreme Islamic Council in collaboration with the Office of The Imam Ratib of Banjul and Gambia Christian Council yesterday held a press briefing on the importance of peace and tolerance before, during and after election.

Making a clarion call, The Imam Ratib of Banjul said Christians and Muslims in The Gambia are united and therefore encouraged politicians and their supporters to emulate such by embracing peace and tolerance and follow due process.

“Muslims and Christians live together in unity, peace and tolerance. I want politicians and their supporters to learn from this and always keep the peace in the interest of a unified Gambia. On polling day, stay at home if you have no business with the electoral process, and after voting, go home peacefully and wait for the result.”

President of Gambia Supreme Islamic Council, Essa Darboe, appealed to Gambians not to say or do things that would destabilize the nation, citing that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) warned Muslims to desist from creating instability as it is a great sin.

In his contribution, General Secretary of Gambia Christian Council, Rev. Rodney Prom said in the absence of peace everyone suffers, emphasizing that the victory of any of the candidates in the forthcoming presidential election should be seen as a victory of all Gambians.

“When the absence of peace comes upon us it will not look at our faces, religions or political affiliations. It will only steal away our peace, security and shelter. When one person wins the December 4th presidential election it is the whole of Gambia that wins. We intermarry and are connected in many ways, so we should not allow politics to divide us.”

Vice President of Pastors Alliance, Pst. Sylvester Jammeh noted that Gambians should exercise their freedom of association with peace, and first think about the children, pregnant women and the disabled before saying or doing anything detrimental to the peace and security of The Gambia.

In climaxing the press briefing, the interfaith clergy prayed for a peaceful, free, fair and transparent presidential election in The Gambia.

United Democratic Party leader Ousainou Darboe has told thousands of his supporters he pulled out of the campaign trail after falling and sustaining a minor fracture.

“Two days ago, I pulled out of the campaign trail because after performing the Asr prayers, while folding my prayer mat, I tripped and fell and then sustained a minor fracture. I couldn’t be attended to in the LRR in the manner I wanted medically. So I had to come back to Banjul to have better medical evaluation,” Mr Darboe told his supporters at his Pipeline residence early Friday.

UDP’s campaign contingent returned to Banjul on Thursday after ending the first part of their presidential campaign.

It however saw Mr Darboe missed the big return after spending a day at Afrimed hospital.

“My compatriots, I am humbled yet by another rapturous welcome by the members of this great party. This welcome of the campaign team has been made possible by your devotion and your dedication to the United Democratic Party,” Mr Darboe told his supporters.

By Matty Senghore

The National People’s Party beat United Democratic Party to respondents who indicated which candidate is likely to win the December 4 presidential election

The Central for Policy Research and Strategic Studies has published its latest opinion poll on next month’s presidential election showing a massive 44% of respondents saying NPP is likely to win the election.

“NPP leads on the likely to win and the intention to vote at 44% and 41%respectively, followed by UDP at 24%and 22% respectively, while others (PDOIS, GDC ,GUP, ESSA FAAL) struggle for less than 10% and 15% of respondents votes respectively. However a significant 24% of respondents say they can’t tell who will win , while 25% say they are undecided or say it their secret when asked about their intention to vote,” the poll, released on Friday said.

According to the poll relying on respondents, President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party is also likely to win in all the regions of the country except Banjul where the number of people who said they can’t tell is more than those who said NPP is likely to win.

CEPRASS interviewed 1,184 likely voters across the country in a survey that lasted for 10 days.

The survey also revealed that the most important issues for the incoming president to address are health, agriculture and security.

By Matty Senghore

The National People’s Party beat United Democratic Party to respondents who indicated which candidate is likely to win the December 4 presidential election

The Center for Policy Research and Strategic Studies has published its latest opinion poll on next month’s presidential election showing a massive 44% of respondents saying NPP is likely to win the election.

“NPP leads on the likely to win and the intention to vote at 44% and 41%respectively, followed by UDP at 24%and 22% respectively, while others (PDOIS, GDC ,GUP, ESSA FAAL) struggle for less than 10% and 15% of respondents votes respectively. However a significant 24% of respondents say they can’t tell who will win , while 25% say they are undecided or say it their secret when asked about their intention to vote,” the poll, released on Friday said.

According to the poll relying on respondents, President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party is also likely to win in all the regions of the country except Banjul where the number of people who said they can’t tell is more than those who said NPP is likely to win.

CEPRASS interviewed 1,184 likely voters across the country in a survey that lasted for 10 days.

The survey also revealed that the most important issues for the incoming president to address are health, agriculture and security.

The Presidential Candidate of the Citizens’ Alliance (CA) Party Dr Ismaila Ceesay has informed the Gambian people that his party is going ahead to start campaigns and the country’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) cannot stop them.

He was speaking at a press conference at the party’s secretariat. Dr Ceesay’s outburst comes after a court ruling which indicated that the IEC acted in violation of the Elections Act.

“They are vehemently bent on depriving us from running for the 4^th December Election. But they cannot stop us, as a matter of fact we shall start our campaign on Sunday.” Dr Ceesay said sternly

He further noted that although the court made a ruling that they (The IEC) acted outside the law, they are now bent on frustrating the judgement by filing an appeal only to delay and forestall his opportunity to run for president.