The chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Gambia Football Federation Lamin Sanneh is expected to tender his resignation this morning. Another member of the committee Karalang Jatta is also following suit.
The expected resignation of the duo was confirmed yesterday and it came after presidential challenger Sadibou Kamaso addressed a letter to the Committee chairman asking him to honorably quit because as a government official, his appointment in the electoral committee and that of Karalang Jatta goes against the law.
Mr Sanneh, a seasoned sports administrator, is currently permanent secretary at the Ministry of Environment while Mr Jatta is a senior police commissioner.
In that protest letter, Mr Kamaso reminded the chairman of the Electoral committee that ”As per Article 3 (4)(c) of the GFF Electoral Code Members of the Electoral Committee must immediately decline to give an opinion and withdraw from the matter in progress if they are:
(c) a government official of any kind”
Article 3(5) of the same code also states that “in the event that a member of the Electoral Committee does not fulfil the above requirements, the member in question shall immediately leave his position and be replaced by a substitute”.
You would agree with me that Article 3 of the said Electoral Code and its sub-articles are very clear and unambiguous. The two esteemed members of your committee which happen to be your Honorable self and Mr. Karalang Jatta are both Government Officials of the Republic of The Gambia which therefore calls for a replacement of the two respectable gentlemen as per the Electoral Code.”
The Standard spoke to Mr Jatta who confirmed their resignation. ” I think we were selected because of the trust all stakeholders have in us. So if there is valid legal issue about our position the most honourable thing is to quit to maintain that trust,” he noted.
The GFF must now look for a replacement for the chairman and his fellow quitter. A source within the GFF said the General Assembly which appoints the committees must have oversighted the rule. “But the good thing is that it has been highlighted and the right thing is done,” our source said.
