Disputes and sharp exchanges marked a high-stakes stakeholder engagement convened by The Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Thursday, 23rd April 2026, as conflicting voter registration figures and operational lapses drew scrutiny.

Despite the discrepancies, officials projected that the country is on track to surpass the 1 million registered voters milestone by the second week of the ongoing supplementary registration exercise.

More in the report.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has announced a crackdown on double registration and the activities of unregistered political movements, citing growing concerns over electoral integrity just weeks into the supplementary voter registration process ahead of the December 2026 presidential elections.

More in the report.

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has sharply criticised UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch following her remarks dismissing the idea that UK should not be financially accountable for the transatlantic slave trade.

More in this news report.

Six Gambian opposition leaders of the APP Sobeyaa, GFA, NUP, Tabax Rewmi, UDP, and UMC have issued a press release under the APeX Coalition Building Project urging Gambians to register to vote as coalition-building talks proceed.

The presser noted that “discussions are now ongoing on the selection of a coalition flagbearer through a democratic and transparent process.”

More in the press release.

At the monthly stakeholder forum held at the OIC Conference Center in Bijilo, the Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Joseph Colley, on Tuesday, 10th March 2026, revealed that the Commission plans to introduce a serialised attestation system for the upcoming voter registration process.

More in the news report.

At the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) monthly stakeholder forum held on 10th March 2026, concerns were raised regarding the growing number of political parties in the country and the commission’s capacity to effectively manage them.

More in this news report.

The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) has announced the implementation of “minimal load shedding” across parts of the country due to exceptionally high electricity demand during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Christian Lenten season, a development that has renewed concerns about The Gambia’s limited electricity generation capacity amid the government’s push for universal access by the end of 2026.

More in this report.

Six opposition leaders sign a harmony accord as coalition talks gain momentum ahead of the December 2026 presidential elections. Signatories to the agreement include Ousainu Darboe, Bakary Dabo, Talib Bensouda, Essa Faal, Lamin Darbo and Ahmadou Kah.

More in the press release.

The UDP Party leader and presidential flag bearer, Hon. Ousainu Darboe, has challenged critics to convince him why his party should not lead the opposition coalition ahead of the December 2026 presidential election in an exclusive interview with Askanwi media.

More in this exclusive report.

Civil society actors in The Gambia express deep concern over recent public remarks by Dr Ismaila Ceesay directed at Madi Jobarteh and the Edward Francis Small Center for Rights and Justice. These remarks must be understood within a broader and troubling pattern of delegitimising critical civic voices rather than engaging with the substance of their concerns. In particular, the questioning of the legitimacy of the Edward Francis Small Center for Rights and Justice—and, by extension, the credibility of its founder—raises serious issues for democratic discourse. More in the statement.

The Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) has announced that they will be submitting their much-anticipated TRRC Final Report and Recommendations (Final Report) to President Adama Barrow on Thursday, 25th November 2021.

More in the news report first published in 2021.

In the run-up to the December 2021 presidential election, Lead Counsel Essa Mbaye Faal took the bold decision to contest for the presidency before the submission of the TRRC report.

This publication looks into his decision juxtaposed with President Barrow’s NPP-APRC coalition, which victims warned threatened the implementation of the TRRC recommendation.

Almost five years back, Faal enthused that President Barrow had no intention to implement the TRRC report and urged Gambians to hold him accountable for this.

This report was first published on Gainako back in 2021 in the run-up to the presidential elections.

The interim leader of the National Alliance Accelerated Advancement (NAFAA), Ousainou Allen, has called for the recent irregular migration deaths off the coast of Jinack to be treated as “a national tragedy,” as official figures confirm dozens dead and others still missing. More in the news report.

The People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) was forced to adjourn its elective congress yesterday, 28th December 2025, to 24th January 2026 due to a lack of quorum. More in the news report.

Eighteen (18) out of twenty-two (22) registered political parties in The Gambia have signed a historic communiqué committing to concrete reforms to advance women’s political participation and representation, following the successful conclusion of a two-day National Conference on Women’s Political Participation and Representation. More in the press release.

The Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission has announced the dates for the next electoral cycle, 2026 to 2027, covering presidential, National Assembly and local government elections. More in the news report.

President Adama Barrow addresses the nation after the alleged death of Omar Badjie from Lamin Mandinary last week. Read the full statement in this link.

The recent death of prominent activist Alain Christophe Traoré in custody and a series of cybercrime trials against journalists underscore the rapid erosion of civic space in the Sahel. Transitional military governments are increasingly using anti-cybercrime laws to silence critics, raising alarm over freedom of expression and human rights in the region. More in the report.

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) warns of worsening press freedom in the Sahel, where military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Guinea are cracking down on journalists and activists. The MFWA urges regional and international bodies to act quickly to protect democracy and free expression. More in the publication.

The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) convened a high-level workshop on Friday, 18th July 2025, bringing together women leaders, lawmakers, and civil society actors to confront the systemic barriers limiting women’s participation in Gambian politics. Held at Bakadaji Hotel in Kololi, the forum aimed to spark action-oriented dialogue and strengthen pathways for inclusive political leadership and decision-making across the country. More in the report.