Democracy lives or dies with the voter register. If the roll is corrupt, the election is corrupt. If the election is corrupt, the government is illegitimate. That is the hard math Gambians must face before 2026.
The Independent Electoral Commission has already admitted to 2,800 double registrations in the ongoing exercise. Communities in URR, CRR, and WCR report minors being issued voter cards. These are not clerical errors. They are crimes. Section 39 of the 1997 Constitution and Section 12 of the Elections Act clearly states that only Gambian citizens aged 18 and above may register. Every underage card, every duplicate entry, is a direct assault on “one person, one vote.”
The register is not a bureaucratic formality. It is the legal boundary of the Gambian electorate. Once that boundary is breached, no result can command public trust. A fake voter today casts a fake vote tomorrow. That vote cancels yours.
A compromised roll helps those who already control state resources. They can mobilise alkalo attestations, bus minors to centres, and hide behind “clerical mistakes.”
No more secrecy. The IEC should conduct a full biometric and age audit of the provisional list before display. Publish, per constituency, the number of underage and double entries identified and expunged. Display the provisional register for 30 days in all polling stations and enable SMS verification.
Attestation should not be seen as a political favour. It is a legal oath. Attest for a minor and you are an accomplice. The Criminal Code applies. Prosecution must be swift and public.
The law enforcement should treat voter fraud as a national security matter. Arrest brokers who transport minors to registration centres. A voter card for a child is not empowerment. It is a criminal record waiting to happen.
Do not sell your children’s names for a party T-shirt. Report every case to IEC or to the nearest police station. Check the list when it is displayed. If your dead relative is still registered, raise the alarm.
Gambia cannot afford another disputed election. The last one left scars. The next one, built on a fraudulent foundation, risks legitimacy itself. The courts must jail fraudsters, not deport them. The IEC must clean the register or forfeit public confidence. Parties must defend democracy or be remembered as those who rigged it.
The Sahel is burning. Ecowas President Omar Alieu Touray warned in Banjul that unless we contain insecurity in The Sahel, we will soon be talking about insecurity in the coastal states. A stolen election is the fastest accelerant for that fire. It tells young people the ballot is a joke and the gun is the only alternative.
One country, one roll, one law — for Gambians aged 18 and above only. That is the minimum standard of a republic. Anything less is an invitation to chaos.
