Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Ousainou Darboe, has said the party will pay very close attention to the conduct of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) ahead of the 2026 presidential election.
Speaking in an interview with Eye Africa TV, Darboe suggested that the party’s previous electoral defeats were influenced by what he describes as irregularities in the electoral process.
Darboe insisted that the UDP has always participated in elections in good faith but said the party would adopt a more vigilant stance going into the next polls.
“In 2026 we shall carefully watch the IEC. That’s what I can say for now. We must watch IEC very carefully in 2026. By saying this, I mean in all aspects of its work,” he stated.
When asked whether the arrival of a new IEC chairman would restore confidence, Darboe dismissed the idea that there had been any meaningful institutional change. He noted that the new chairman previously served as deputy chair during the 2021 presidential election.
“It’s the same house with the same individuals. The new chairman was the deputy chairman in 2021. That’s why I insist that we must watch the IEC very carefully in 2026,” he said.
Darboe reiterated his long-held view that the 2021 presidential election was marred by fraud. He said the legal team that advised him at the time consisted of highly respected lawyers who would not have taken the case to court without “probable cause.”
“So I still consider that there was electoral fraud in 2021,” Darboe said, citing alleged irregular voter registrations in Jambanjelly. He claimed that about 400 individuals were registered after the official registration deadline and received voter cards.
He added that some voters were reportedly registered outside the official polling hours in other areas. “That’s why I said that this time we will watch the IEC very carefully,” he said.
Darboe said the UDP only became fully aware of these alleged irregularities after the election had concluded. He warned that the new IEC chair, Alieu Momarr Njie’s successor, Mr. Joseph Colley, should be aware that the UDP will be monitoring the process closely.
The UDP leader also criticized the government’s decision to raise the presidential candidate registration fee to one million Dalasis, calling it a barrier to political participation.
“When Yahya Jammeh increased the registration fee for presidential candidates, we all cried foul. But this government came and did worse,” Darboe said. “UDP and all structured parties can mobilize and pay that fee, but there are competent Gambians who cannot afford it. This deprives the country of their skills and violates their rights.”
Darboe argued that the increase contradicts the democratic principles President Adama Barrow once championed while opposing the Jammeh administration.
“Someone who criticized and fought what Jammeh did is now doing worse. That’s why Gambians must question the rationale of Adama Barrow’s actions,” he said.
