By Matty Senghore
The presidential candidate of opposition Gambia Democratic Congress has said no one has the right to tell him who should speak at his rally and who should not – and accused the Independent Electoral Commission of being indifferent to President Adama Barrow giving out money to voters.
Speaking at Felenkoto, Jarra East on Tuesday night, Mr Kandeh also addressed the issue of former President Jammeh’s supporters backing him saying that no one can stop them from wearing APRC t-shirts.
“The people talking between the APRC alliance and NO Alliance have no business to talk about it even the IEC has no business to talk about it. They are all APRC supporters, the party isn’t dead. They are still APRC and that is where they still support. Their only difference is they are not supporting the same person. Who am I (MAMA KANNDEH) to say they are not APRC supporters, who is the IEC to say they are not APRC supporters? If they are APRC supporters, who is there to stop them from wearing APRC materials? It’s not IEC’s business,” Mr Kandeh said.
He said elsewhere: “I believe Yahya Jammeh is still APRC, and I still believe President Jammeh is still a member of the APRC. Yahya Tamba and all his followers remain to be members of the APRC and I haven’t heard anywhere that these people have been expelled from the APRC. Does the executive of THAT APRC have the power to expel everyone from APRC just because you are not supporting President Barrow?
“IEC should know what is expected of them, I am telling you that we don’t have dumb people. I know the laws, I respect and accept the law. By God’s grace, I won’t violate the law. Therefore, IEC will not be able to do what they are used to this time around. Alieu MOMAR NJIE refuses to retire but by GOD’s grace, you will not do what you want.”
Elsewhere, Kandeh angrily accused President Barrow of giving out money to voters and vowed he will file a petition and make sure National People’s Party of the president is deregistered.
He said: “If we are truthful, in the electoral laws of this country, we all know giving out money during campaigns it is violating the electoral laws of this country and every day we are seeing President Barrow giving out money to people.
“I am so disappointed by this IEC. I won’t admit that you haven’t seen videos and haven’t heard from people that Barrow and his people are bribing everybody every day which is against the electoral laws of this country. You have turned a blind eye to that. I will put a petition to that and I want to see the NPP being de-registered because they are violating the law and IEC are not talking about that. Are you the one to tell me who should be speaking in my meeting? Who are you?”
