By Fatou Sillah
Sheriffo Bayo Sonko, a transport councillor at the Brikama Area Council and a prominent member of the United Democratic Party, called for calm and fairness in the country’s upcoming elections, urging political actors and voters alike to prioritize unity over division.
In an interview with Teledal TV, Mr. Sonko said the electoral period should
“This year we are going to the polls, and we expect to have so many candidates or coalitions, but what is more important is we all have to go towards the election peacefully; we must be united, and we must be ready to be civil in whatever we are doing,” he said.
Mr. Sonko also emphasized the importance of voter registration, describing it as the foundation of the electoral process. Registration began this week.
“Registration just started yesterday; what we need to understand is election starts with registration,” he said.
He raised concerns about the integrity of the process, warning against any actions that could undermine public confidence. In particular, he criticized the potential involvement of non-citizens in voting.
“If leaders invite foreigners to get into the election, that shows that those leaders are not serving their people,” he said.
At the same time, Mr. Sonko acknowledged the legal rights of naturalized citizens, distinguishing them from what he described as illegitimate voters. “People who naturalize, that’s a legal process, you cannot deny those people the right to vote, but we are not going to allow mercenary voters to get into our election,” he said.
His remarks come as political activity intensifies ahead of the vote, with growing calls from across the spectrum for a transparent and peaceful electoral process.
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