IEC Processing 6 Prospective Presidential Candidates

At least six presidential hopefuls, including five independent candidates, still have their nominations pending as the electoral commission conducts further verifications on the voter signatories they have provided.

According to the IEC, the following candidates Lamin J Darbo, Bakary K Badjie, Almameh Gibba and Papa Secka, all independents, are yet to secure the required 5,000 signatures to qualify for nomination. Some of their submissions are being processed after they provided additional signatures.

Peoples Alliance Party leader Ebrima Tabora Manneh has provided additional 1,507 signatories. The commission said his nominations are being processed alongside Ansu Sanneh of National Builders Party who provided additional 379 signatories. Verification is also being conducted into Sanneh’s citizenship.

Bakary K Badjie has provided additional 2,310 signatories in support of his shortage. While Lamin J. Darbo, Independent aspirant under Team Gambia Coalition was short of 840 signatories of registered voters nationally. The IEC said verification of the renunciation of his British citizenship is also on-going.

Almameh Gibba, also an independent backed by the former president Yahya Jammeh’s No-To-Alliance movement, is also short of 351 signatories while another independent, Papa Secka, has paid his nomination deposit of D1 million and his nomination papers have been processed. He is required to provide additional 3,062 signatories.