Africa-Press – Gambia. The National Democratic Party (NDP) has responded to a recent report in local media titled, “IEC explains why they turned down UMC and six other parties, including the National Democratic Party (NDP).”
In a statement signed by Lamin Conateh, NDP Administration – Media and Publications, the party said the article, which quoted Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Communications Officer Pa Makang Khan, “does not fully and fairly reflect the facts surrounding NDP party’s registration process.”
The NDP recalled that it formally submitted its registration application on 22 October 2025 at IEC headquarters in compliance with the IEC Act. The submission included the party constitution, emblem, logo, colours, symbol, and 11,796 registered voters’ cards.
Two months later, the party attended a meeting at the IEC conference hall, led by Kebba Bojang and attended by several IEC unit heads, including Chief Electoral Officer Sambujang Jagne.
The meeting, according to the party, addressed terminologies in the party constitution described as “Ghanaian terms,” which the IEC advised be amended. The party logo was approved with instructions to remove surrounding national colours, while 3,355 voter cards were rejected due to inconsistencies, including signature and thumbprint mismatches, unreadable numbers, incorrect constituency names, and administrative area errors.
The NDP said the IEC informed them it would deliberate further and communicate final recommendations, and that the party might need to address any shortfall in valid supporters.
Expressing surprise at the public narrative, the party said social media and press reports “portray the affected parties in a negative light” rather than reflecting ongoing administrative engagement. The NDP urged the IEC to maintain impartiality, transparency, and equal treatment for all political actors.
The party also questioned whether the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) underwent similar scrutiny during its registration process.
