Speaking to AG Radio, Bura Dibba provided a firsthand account of his observation of the ongoing supplementary voter registration process. Dibba was speaking during the Saturday weekly edition of the “Voice of the People” programme.
“I take my time going round some voter registration centres within the Kanifing Municipal Council area. I have inquired from some agents in these centres about what has been going on since the start of the voter registrations. Unfortunately, some NPP members have brought underage children here for registration, according to my sources. Some of these agents provided me with their contact numbers and asked me to call them after closing time so that they can explain all that transpired, and they are even willing to come to AG Radio for the public to hear what is going on,” Dibba said.
Dibba was told by some voter registration agents that they have been taking notes, as some of those who came to register look much younger than the legal age. Some of them are as young as 12, 13, 14, and 15 years of age, and this has also been confirmed by Haji Sawaneh.
Dibba is very worried about what he saw and heard in some registration centres. “One of the agents told me that an underage child was brought to the same center where he works.” The agent said that he recognizes the minor whose mother was known to him. He immediately asks the minor, “What are you doing here?” and warned the minor to leave the centre,” Dibba stated.
Dibba asserted that he was informed that some of these underage children have been issued IEC attestation forms to be taken to an Akalo in their locality to be attested, and the Alkalos placed a stamp on the form confirming that the minor has been attested for registration to vote. Once these underage individuals come with their stamped attestations, then there is nothing the agents could do but to have them registered and inform the revising courts. It is some members of the NPP-ruling party who are responsible for these voter registration malpractices.
According to Dibba, he told one of the agents that these same registration malpractices had taken place during the last presidential election; the agents took note but failed to come to the revising courts on the day of the hearing. The agent who was listening attentively confirmed what Dibba had just said.
“Some of these agents are true Gambian patriots. They do these jobs just to contribute to the credibility of our elections. We work very hard here every day, and we follow the law. If the IEC decides to issue someone with attestation, we cannot deny them registration when they come after having been attested by an Alkalo.” One of the agents told Dibba.
Asked who was responsible for bringing these underage children to these centres? “Based on the information I got from some of these agents, it is mostly some members of the NPP ruling party, but some members from the opposition party are also doing the same,” Dibba answered.
According to Dibba, the Alkalos tend to connive with the NPP ruling party and provide attestations to anyone they send to them. “Any Alkalo who refuses to do what the NPP party wanted them to do they risks having their stamp confiscated. We have seen this in Jangjangbureh. It was rumoured from unverified sources that the Alkalo gave his official stamp to his son, and since the son was a UMC sympathizer, he was having lots of people attested. and that is why the Alkalos stamp was seized by the governor of the area. Now the government is looking for another NPP Alkalo to replace him,” Dibba stated.
According to Dibba, most of these Alkalos are appointed via the Ministry of Local Government, and this is why they feel that since they are appointed by the government, they would do what the government wants them to do.
Dibba concluded that such seizure of Alkalo stamps by a governor is unlawful. The laws of this country do not state that a governor has the power to do so.
