The Gambia goes to polls today April 9, 2022, to elect 53 legislators on a 5-year term, barely 4 months after a Presidential election – Adama Barrow was reelected after contesting with 5 other contenders.
More than 960,000 registered voters are eligible to vote in an election involving some 246 candidates across the country.
The country’s National Assembly is made up of 53 elected representatives plus five other members nominated by the incumbent President Barrow – as dictated by the 1997 constitution.
The election management body, Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has assured of a free and fair process, but has come under heavy criticism from opposition elements.
Presidential election
On December 4, 2021, Gambians lined up to vote in a presidential election that sought to reinforce the country’s democratic transition.
The keenly contested presidential election was the country’s first since the fall of Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year brutal dictatorial regime in December 2016.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) declared Adama Barrow the winner on December 5 with 53.2%, while his closest contender Ousainou Darboe obtained 27.7%.
However, an election petition was filed at the Supreme Court subsequently to challenge the results but the legal challenge was dismissed by the apex court.
Election misinformation/fake news
Highly politicized messages from across the political spectrum are continuing to make the rounds online and offline and have the potential to destabilize the young democracy.
FactSpace together with Gambia’s leading investigative journalism media organization, Malagen would be collaborating to tackle election mis/disinformation being spread both online and offline.
By: Gifty Tracy Aminu
