By Omar Bah
The governing National Peoples’ Party’s SereKunda Constituency chairman has denied allegations that the recent councillor election results in Bartez ward was changed in favour of their candidate.
The opposition United Democratic Party’s losing candidate in the ward Tobaski Sibi, has said he will go to court to challenge the results which declared his opponent Ousman Darboe of the NPP as winner.
Mr Sibi alleged that the IEC changed the results at Plaza Cinema Polling Station where the NPP candidate’s initial 48 votes was changed to 84 by the returning officer after the confirmation of the results by all the agents.
But speaking in a Star Radio Wakeup Gambia Show to be aired today, Kutobo Secka said: “It is not possible to change the results of an election that was counted on the spot with all-party representatives and IEC officials present. What happened is that when they counted the polls at Serekunda school and Gaddafi Mosque and realised that they won all of them they started celebrating before getting the rest of the results. So, when we came to Plaza polling stations, we defeated them there and won the rest of the polling stations in Bartez.”
Secka said when he received a call that the UDP supporters were celebrating that they won in Bartez he contacted his team on the ground who confirmed to him that the NPP candidate actually won with 29 votes and that the IEC endorsed the results.
Commenting on UDP’s threats to go to court, Secka said: “We have nothing to worry about. I was very happy when I heard that they are planning to go to court because I am confident that the case will be thrown out because it lacks merit.”
Inducement of voters
On claims that the NPP used money to convince people to vote for its candidates, Secka said those claims are false. “It is just that whenever a wrestler is defeated, he will find excuses but the truth is that our campaign team worked hard to win,” he said.
He warned the UDP that despite winning 15 seats in the councillor elections, the NPP is poised to grab the mayoral seat.
“I want to tell my people in KMC to vote for Bakary Badjie if they want development in the area. We are calling on all those who stood as independent to come and join the NPP and help us develop this country,” he said.
