By: Sarjo Brito
UDP Commando Momodou Sabally has fired back almost immediately after the Independent Electoral Commission announced it had upheld its decision to reject his National Assembly nomination papers.
Momodou Sabally has vowed to challenge the IEC’s decision. The UDP aspiring candidate for the Busumbala Constituency seat said he is neither giving up nor taking a step back in this fight as the IEC has no legal authority to reject his nomination. Sabally describes his rejection as an outright flouting of procedure and blatant disregard for justice and fair play by the IEC officials.
“The legal and administrative steps necessary to correct this maleficent, this targeted oppression of an innocent citizen of this country will be taken to assure you that I am not giving up. I am not taking a step back. I will continue to fight for my rights as a citizen of this country who has been oppressed, targeted, side-lined, marginalized by an inept, corrupt administration,’’ The UDP Commando said.
Momodou Sabally alleged that the statements uttered by the IEC returning officer during his nomination were uttered out of instruction from the country’s leadership, calling it a premeditated act targeted against him.
“And so the IEC has doubled down on their banditry and gross injustice meted at me. They have rejected my appeal and I have also rejected their rejection. So we will soon meet at the right platform for adjudication,” he said.
“The IEC is not a court of law talk less of a branch of the IEC. Who told Tony Secka that there was a commission of inquiry that made adverse findings against me? Why did he have the temerity to sit down on that spot and reject my nomination when all other nominations are vetted and scrutinised over a period of 48hours or even more before a decision is taken. What he has manifested is a clear fact that this act of rejection was a premeditated act targeted against me.”
Momodou Sabally also called out the Gambian leader for what he describes as cherry-picking who the law applies to, making reference to the Mamburay Njie’s appointment as Finance Minister who has been equally found wanting by the same commission.
“[President] Adama Barrow has decided to ignore the commission of inquiry that Tony Secka was referencing, by appointing Mamburay Njie who has serious adverse findings made against him. To appoint Alagie Ceesay as Chief of Protocol inside his cabinet, who had worse adverse findings from the commission against him. If Barrow can ignore the recommendations of the commission and decide to do business with Tarek Moussa and TK Motors, a foreigner, why should I be singled to be targeted to strip me of my rights to seek elected office in this country,” Sabally asks.
