A Facebook page named Recruitment Portal recently posted a false claim that The Gambia's Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is currently recruiting 5,750 people as election officials for the December 5, 2026 presidential election. The post included a link to an unofficial website, which asks applicants for personal details. At the time of publication, the post had garnered 49 reactions, eight comments, and one share.
The IEC's Director of Communications, Pa Makan Khan, dismissed the advertisement, stating that applications had closed and interviews had already taken place. Verification of the claims was done through a WhatsApp conversation with Khan and a review of the IEC's official communications. On October 16, 2026, the Commission published an announcement regarding the shortlisting and interview dates for December 2026 presidential election officials.
The announcement stated that after receiving applications, the Commission designated October 17 to 26 for shortlisting, interviews, and selection. This timeline aligns with Khan's confirmation that applications had closed and interviews had taken place. The Facebook post's claim that the IEC was still accepting applications contradicts the Commission's official announcement.
The website linked to the advertisement, hosted on Blogspot, contains generic recruitment language and an application form requesting personal details. Although the website displays the IEC's email address, telephone, and fax numbers, it does not establish that the IEC created, authorized, or operates the platform. The presence of official contact details on an unofficial website raises concerns.
Further examination of the website revealed that it uses a Blogspot subdomain rather than an independently verified official domain belonging to the IEC. A scan of the link using VirusTotal also flagged the URL as malicious or potentially associated with phishing. This raises concerns about collecting applicants' data under the guise of an official recruitment exercise.
The IEC had previously issued a warning concerning a separate fake recruitment advertisement on October 17, 2025. The Commission cautioned the public against unauthorized recruitment announcements and unofficial online application forms, advising them to rely on official channels for authentic recruitment announcements.
In conclusion, the claim of the IEC recruiting 5,750 election officials is false. The IEC's Director of Communications confirmed that applications had closed and interviews had taken place, which matches the Commission's official notice scheduling interviews for October 17 to 26, 2026. No official IEC announcement supports the figure of 5,750 vacancies advertised in the Facebook post.
Key points
- The IEC's application process for election officials has closed, and interviews have been held.
- The unofficial website linked to the false recruitment claim may be associated with phishing.
- The IEC warned the public against unauthorized recruitment announcements and unofficial online application forms.
