Africa-Press – Gambia. The United Democratic Party (UDP) has called on National Assembly Members to immediately summon the Minister of Interior and the Director General of the Gambia Immigration Department to explain what it describes as the unlawful issuance of Gambian national identity cards to individuals abroad.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the opposition party expressed alarm over what it termed the government’s “unlawful and politically motivated” distribution of national documents in several African countries, including Mauritania, Congo, and Togo, with the possibility of more nations involved.
The UDP argues that the exercise lacks transparency, legal authority, and credible verification mechanisms.
“Governments around the world issue passports to their citizens abroad through embassies and consulates not national ID cards,” the statement noted. “These are meant to be issued within national territory under strict documentation and biometric control. Issuing ID cards abroad, especially in countries with weak civil registration systems and porous borders, raises the spectre of fraud, manipulation, and mass registration of non-Gambians,” the statement noted.
The party alleged that such ID cards could be used to illegally register foreign nationals as voters and warned that the government could later reintroduce diaspora voting, allowing those issued IDs to participate in the 2026 presidential election.
“This entire scheme is a deliberate ploy to rig the upcoming elections,” UDP claimed.
The statement also calls on the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to clarify whether it is involved in the process and to publicly distance itself from what the party describes as an unconstitutional act.
UDP further urged Gambian civil society, other political parties, and international partners to closely monitor and condemn the alleged abuse of the national identification system.
“The UDP remains committed to safeguarding the democratic process and will pursue all legal and political avenues to ensure that the 2026 elections are free, fair, and credible,” the statement concluded.
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