Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Veteran political commentator Pa Njie Giri-Gara has called on political parties and candidates to refrain from announcing their own election results ahead of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), warning that such conduct could inflame tensions and put the country’s peace and stability at risk.
Giri-Gara’s appeal, made in an audio message circulated publicly, was a direct response to a reported statement by the United Democratic Party’s (UDP) Lamin Manneh that the party intends to announce its own results before the IEC does.
Describing Manneh’s remarks as “dangerous,” Giri-Gara singled out the UDP, which he called a mature political party, and urged its leadership to exercise restraint and allow the electoral body to carry out its constitutional mandate without interference.
“The statement that you made today in the Foroyaa Newspaper is dangerous,” Giri-Gara said, appealing to political parties across the board to “guard the peace and tranquility of the country.”
He argued that no political party or individual leader owns The Gambia, insisting that the nation belongs to its citizens and that political competition must never be allowed to override national peace.
Call for Security Presence and Confidence in the IEC
Giri-Gara also urged the country’s security institutions, including the Gambia Armed Forces, to maintain a visible and strong presence nationwide after voting concludes, particularly during the sensitive counting and results-announcement period.
He said such deployment would help deter violence, intimidation, or disturbances and ensure that no one uses the electoral period as cover to provoke unrest or target political opponents.
The commentator expressed firm confidence in the IEC’s capacity to manage the process credibly, appealing to Gambians to give the commission adequate time to verify and reconcile results before making any official declaration.
He drew on the disputed aftermath of the 2016 presidential election as a cautionary example, noting that the episode underscored why careful, methodical verification must precede any announcement of results.
“Even if it takes 48 hours to compile the results so as to make no mistake… they will take their time, reconcile all the votes one by one throughout the country before announcing the official results,” Giri-Gara said.
He appealed to political parties, candidates, and their supporters to steer clear of inflammatory rhetoric and to respect the integrity of the electoral process.
“No political party owns The Gambia,” he reiterated, calling on Gambians to place peace above political affiliation.
Giri-Gara’s comments come as political parties intensify preparations for the December 2026 presidential election. Concerns over election-related tensions and how the post-voting period is managed are expected to remain a central issue in national discourse in the lead-up to the polls.
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