United Democratic Party challenges Gambia voter register and election process

The United Democratic Party (UDP) has raised concerns regarding the credibility of The Gambia’s voter register ahead of the December 2026 presidential election. Senior UDP official Yakumba Jaiteh stated that the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has failed to account for a discrepancy involving approximately 14,000 voters. While the IEC previously attributed a larger discrepancy of 28,000 voters to double registrations, the UDP claims they have not received sufficient data to identify which specific registrations were removed or classified as duplicates.

In a separate move aimed at increasing transparency, the UDP has defended its plan to independently compile and publish its own presidential election tally. Deputy Secretary for External Affairs Lamin Manneh clarified that while the IEC is the only institution mandated to officially declare election outcomes, the party intends to use software to capture and release results announced at polling stations. The UDP maintains that this process is intended to bolster public confidence and ensure transparency by providing running figures based on results certified by IEC officials at individual stations.