Update 11th November 2026 © Askanwi Media
By Askanwi Media
Following the conclusion of the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) nomination submission schedule today, 11th November 2026, a total of 11 presidential aspirants have been ruled out of the process of becoming confirmed presidential candidates.
Meanwhile, 18 aspirants submitted their nomination documents out of the 27 listed on the IEC’s nomination schedule.
This means that nine aspirants failed to submit their nomination documents. To put this into perspective, during the build-up to the 2021 Presidential Election, only two aspirants failed to submit their applications. This year, however, the number has risen to nine.
According to IEC Chairperson Joseph Colley’s announcement today, 11th November 2026, only three of the nine aspirants who withdrew were political parties: the All Inclusive Party, the Gambia Action Party and the National Unity Party. The remaining six were independent aspirants, as indicated in red.
Six Aspirants Failed to Pay the D1 Million Nomination Fee
The IEC Chairperson announced that, out of the 18 submissions received, six aspirants failed to pay the mandatory D1 million nomination fee. They are:
Yusupha Dumbuya of the Democratic Party.
Salieu Jallow (Independent).
Alieu Sowe (Independent).
Joseph Henry Joof (Independent).
Abdou Dampha (Independent).
Papa Secka (Independent).
It’s important to note that Yusupha Dumbuya has now officially written to the Commission to withdraw from the process.
Meanwhile, Bakusa Dukureh of the Gambia Labour Party, who successfully paid the D1 million nomination fee, was not processed after publicly acknowledging that he holds dual citizenship.
Yusupha Dumbuya of the Democratic Party – Withdrawn.
Bakusa Dukureh of the Gambia Labour Party – Disqualified over dual nationality.
These two bring the total number of withdrawn and disqualified aspirants to 11, leaving 16 nomination submissions for consideration by the Commission.
After accounting for the five other aspirants whose submissions were not processed due to the outstanding nomination fee, this leaves 11 aspirants whose documents have been processed by the Commission.
Five Aspirants Require Additional Signatories
Of the 11 aspirants whose documents have been processed, five still need additional signatories to meet the 5,000-nomination requirement. They are:
Modou Lamin Sima of the Alliance of Progressive Citizens – 1,040 signatories.
Ansu Sanneh of the National Builders Party – 144 in Banjul, 23 in Basse and 379 nationally.
Kebba Madi Bojang of the National Democratic Party – 5 in Banjul, 21 in Kanifing and 1,914 nationally.
Bakary K. Badjie – 125 in Banjul, 36 in Kanifing, 110 in Kerewan, 127 in Mansakonko, 44 in Janjanbureh, 91 in Basse and 2,310 nationally.
Ebrima Tabora Manneh of the People’s Alliance Party – 57 in Kanifing, 8 in Mansakonko, 3 in Janjanbureh and 1,507 nationally.
Among these five aspirants, two are also subject to additional verification. Ansu Sanneh’s citizenship status is being verified, while Kebba Madi Bojang’s senior secondary school certificate is undergoing verification.
Four Aspirants Have Completed Processing
This leaves six other aspirants. According to the IEC Chairperson, four have already been processed and require neither additional signatories nor further documentation.
They are:
Dr Isatou Touray (Independent).
Talib Bensouda of UNITE.
Ousainu Darboe of the UDP.
Adama Barrow of the NPP.
Two Aspirants Still Under Processing
The remaining two aspirants, completing the original list of 27, are Lamin J. Darbo of Team Gambia and Almameh Gibba, both independent aspirants who submitted their nomination documents today.
According to the Commission, their nomination papers are currently being processed.
IEC to Announce Qualified Candidates on Thursday
The Commission has announced that it “will issue acceptance of nomination to all the qualified candidates so far on Thursday, 12th November 2026, at 3 p.m.”
This announcement will provide further clarity on the list of aspirants who have successfully completed the nomination process and are set to proceed as confirmed presidential candidates.
