By Lamin Cham
Following two unsuccessful attempts to present evidence of its allegations of election malpractice in court, the UDP yesterday began sharing its petition file with the public at a press conference held at party leader Ousainu Darboe’s Fajara residence.
The party rejected the results of the December 4th presidential polls and unsuccessfully sought to have it annulled at the Supreme Court on grounds of fraudulent acts by President Adama Barrow, his party, and the election organising body.
Addressing the media conference, Darboe began by stating that the election petition was not dismissed by the court as it is being peddled in many quarters.
”Rather, it was struck out, meaning it was not entertained which was a missed opportunity for the Gambian people to know the evidence collected by the UDP, ” he said. He said his party will call press conferences to give more evidence including the illegal registration of voters by the IEC.
Reading from a long list of alleged illegal acts of inducement of voters, Mr Darboe disclosed that there have been at least 26 incidents of corrupt practices committed by Adama Barrow or his agents with his knowledge during the election campaign period.
He said these include an incident on 9th November 2021, when D1,000,000 was “purportedly donated” to Munyagen in support of the villager’s effort to build a health facility. “Musa Drammeh was accompanied by the governor and seyfo of Jokadu District who told the community there that Adama Barrow had fulfilled his promise and he must have his ballot box filled with tokens. This event was captured by camera and photographs are available and it was part of documentary evidence,” Mr Darboe said.
He further recounted that President Barrow visited Jarra Barrow Kunda and gave out D100,000 to a Mr Bayo as cola nuts, thereby entrusting himself to the villagers and did not extend this generosity to the villagers in the proceeding months before the declaration of the campaign period.
“In Kitty, at least a total of D45,000 was again given to the youths of the village by Mr Ahmed Gitteh in a bid to garner support for President Barrow while on 30th November 2021, a video in Sandu Misira revealed the distribution of a milling machine by the NPP at which presidential adviser Siaka Jatta was heard cautioning the residences of Sandu Misira as follows: “The only thing that will stop you from having a tractor will be if the NPP and President Barrow lose the election,” Mr Darboe said.
The UDP leader also revealed that another video was obtained showing a milling machine being given to communities in Basse T Junction purportedly donated by First Lady Fatou Bah-Barrow in which the alkalo of the village, Mr Sellu Bah, was introduced to the community as being part of the NPP campaign team and his presence was that of a citizen of the community rather than as an alkalo. This he said happened on 25th November 2021.
The UDP leader went on to make about a dozen more claims of voter inducement by numerous public officials working in the name of Adama Barrow and the NPP.
