Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information
By Fatou Sillah
The Minister of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, has accused the United Democratic Party (UDP) of consistently refusing to accept election results whenever it loses.
Speaking in an interview with West Coast Radio, Dr. Ceesay said this pattern dates back many years. “This is the problem with the UDP. They never accept when they lose elections, since time immemorial. Since Jammeh’s time,” he said.
He stressed that elections are determined by clear outcomes, not disputes over vote tallies. “Elections all over the world produce a winner and a loser. In this case, the NPP is the winner,” he stated.
Dr. Ceesay also criticized what he described as contradictory positions taken by the opposition following the elections. “You cannot, as a party, write to congratulate your opponent and then turn around to claim they won because of intimidation,” he said.
Rejecting claims that voters were discouraged from participating, the minister maintained that low voter turnout did not characterize the elections. “A low voter turnout is not what happened in these elections,” he said.
Addressing allegations linking the removal of the Bantanjang Alkalo to the electoral process, Dr. Ceesay dismissed the claims, insisting that the decision was unrelated to the elections. “It has nothing to do with the elections,” he said.
He added that the National People’s Party’s victories were driven by President Adama Barrow’s popularity and what he described as positive changes among Gambians. “The NPP won these seats because of President Barrow’s popularity but also because of the transformation of the broader Gambian people,” he said.
Dr. Ceesay further noted that the Bantanjang and Kaiaf Ward by-elections offer a preview of future electoral outcomes. “These elections are an indication of what will happen—indeed, even more so—in 2026,” he said.
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