The Gambia's Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has rejected the presidential bids of National Democratic Party flagbearer Kebba Madi Bojang and Gambia Labour Party leader Bakusa Dukureh. The rejections are due to discrepancies in their documents. Kebba Madi's bid was rejected over conflicting dates of birth in his educational records and identity documents.
According to the IEC, Kebba Madi's educational records and identity documents showed different dates of birth. Records from WAEC and the Gambia Senior Secondary School indicated his date of birth as March 15, 1995, while documents submitted to the Commission showed March 15, 1975. This discrepancy led to the rejection of his nomination.
The Gambia Labour Party's aspiring candidate, Bakusa Dukureh, was also rejected after reportedly acknowledging publicly that he holds dual citizenship. His senior secondary school certificate was further found to be unauthentic following verification by the relevant examination authorities and the school. This made him ineligible to contest in the upcoming polls.
Several other aspirants are still undergoing verification or have been asked to provide additional signatures from registered voters to meet nomination requirements. The National Builders Party is one of them, with additional signatures being processed, while the IEC continues verification of his citizenship. Independent aspirants are also in the process of submitting additional signatures.
Independent aspirant Bakary K. Badjie has submitted additional signatures from several administrative areas, which are being processed by the Commission. Ebrima Tabora Manneh is similarly awaiting the processing of additional signatures submitted in support of his nomination. Other aspirants, such as Lamin J. Darboe and Almameh Gibba, have been found to have shortages in the required number of signatures from registered voters.
The IEC said the nomination exercise, which commenced on November 3, will continue until November 14, 2026, as the Commission completes the examination and verification of the aspiring candidates' submissions. Papa Secka, who has paid the required D1 million nomination deposit, was asked to submit additional signatures from various administrative areas to support his candidature.
The Commission's verification process aims to ensure that all aspiring candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the upcoming polls. The IEC's scrutiny of the candidates' documents and signatures is a critical step in the electoral process, ensuring the integrity of the elections. The rejected candidates have been informed of the reasons for their rejections.
Key points
- The IEC rejected Kebba Madi's bid due to discrepancies in his date of birth.
- Bakusa Dukureh's bid was rejected due to dual citizenship and an unauthentic senior secondary school certificate.
- Several other aspirants are still undergoing verification or have been asked to provide additional signatures to meet nomination requirements.
