By Seedy Jobe
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has defended its decision to award the contract for The Gambia’s 2026 voter registration exercise to a Canadian company, saying that while technical services have been outsourced, ownership and custody of the country’s voter database remain exclusively with the Commission.
Speaking in an interview with QTV, IEC Director of Communications Pa Makan Khan said the contract was awarded to Electoral Service International (ESI) through an open and competitive procurement process conducted in accordance with the Gambia Public Procurement Authority (GPPA) regulations.
Mr. Khan said ESI’s role is limited to supplying voter registration equipment and providing technical and cybersecurity support, while the IEC retains full control over all voter information.
“The data belongs to the IEC; the data is in the custody of the IEC,” Mr. Khan said. “But nonetheless, the company also provides what they call cyber support to the IEC; that is, they support the IEC in handling the data in the country.”
Mr. Khan explained that the contract for materials and gadgets used in the supplementary registration was not restricted. He said the bid was open to both Gambian and international companies.
He said the procurement process was open to both Gambian and international firms and that ESI was selected after emerging as the most responsive bidder during the evaluation process.
According to Mr. Khan, the contract also includes comprehensive data backup measures designed to protect the voter register against unexpected disasters.
“If today or tomorrow the IEC’s election house is burnt, the data can still be available, because there are enough backups in this process,” he said.
Responding to concerns about a foreign company’s involvement in handling sensitive voter information, Mr. Khan said the Commission was bound by procurement laws requiring an open and competitive bidding process. He stressed that ESI does not own or control the voter database but provides technical assistance when needed.
“The data, I would say, is in the custody of the IEC,” he said. “But they are also providing support in case there are some hitches, some glitches; they will always come in, you know, to make us go through the process.”
Mr. Khan also addressed the ongoing appeals and objections period following the supplementary voter registration exercise, saying it is too early to determine how many cases have been filed.
The exercise opened on July 7 and will continue through July 20, after which revising courts will begin hearing appeals and objections.
While only a small number of cases have been reported so far, Mr. Khan said the Commission will compile nationwide figures once the objection period closes.
“I would be more comfortable on the 21st to say this is the number of appeals or this is the number of objections,” he said. “For now, it is still an ongoing process.”
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