Independent presidential aspirant and former minister of justice Joseph Henry Joof made a dramatic appearance at the IEC on Saturday, when breaking all traditions, he arrived alone on a hired taxi, strolled past the waiting reporters and security men to take his seat before Chairman Colley and his staff.
The 66-year-old first demanded his ballot boxes be labelled Pabi Joof, which Chairman Colley rejected.
But it turned out that Chairman Colley and his staff would get more than they bargained for as Joof went onto to give them further lectures. He informed the IEC that instead of insisting on the D1million cash deposit, the law allows aspirants to provide proof of ownership of properties or valuables equal to or more than one million dalasis and therefore he was ready to show proof of his properties worth over D5 million as his deposit.
“We don’t accept collaterals or any other form of payment,” Chairman Joe Colley stopped Joof on his tracks.
But Joof said he had raised the proposal with the IEC’s operations department and was waiting for a response before making the payment.
But there is more. Joof told the IEC that they should interpret the education qualification requirement to mean that only those who completed Secondary School at GCE A level stage should be eligible.
“One can only complete Secondary School at A level not below, or just stopping at High School,” Joof told the IEC.
He then went on to present scanned copies of his academic certificates and when the IEC questioned how the documents could be authenticated, Joof offered to have them notarised or arrange confirmation from the institutions concerned.
He also submitted 56 pages of supporters’ signatures, with eight signatures on each page, bringing his total to 448 against the required 5,000.
His sworn asset declaration too required a witness’s signature, while his personal income tax clearance and campaign itinerary were also outstanding. H engaged the IEC in a heated debate on all these matters and in the end, the IEC had to call it a day after advising him to go and complete all outstanding requirements.
Joof however was not done. Asked by journalists why he wants to become president, he replied: ”I am a fine gentleman who loved and did a lot for The Gambia”.
He pointed to his tenure and record as Minister of Justice, which witnessed the introduction of the dual citizenship law and the establishment of the Supreme Court, among other developments. He won great admiration for his simplicity and boldness in tackling and raising all legal issues surrounding the nomination process.
