Community Members
By Fatou Sillah
The National Council for Civic Education (NCCE) has begun a voter sensitization campaign in parts of the Lower River and West Coast regions as preparations intensify for the Mansakonko and Brikama Area Council councillorship by-elections scheduled for January 10, 2026.
The outreach, conducted from December 21 to 22, focused on encouraging voter participation and promoting peaceful, informed engagement in the local electoral process—an area civic educators say is often overlooked compared with national polls.
NCCE teams held meetings in several communities, including Njolfen and Tabayel, Madina Sanchaba and Munkutala, and the villages of Sare Samba, Generi, and Kiaf. Residents were briefed on voting procedures, civic rights and responsibilities, and the role of local councillors in shaping governance at the community level.
Mamadu A. H. Bah, a programme officer at the NCCE, said the initiative was designed to underscore the importance of local government elections, which he said are frequently undervalued by voters.
“The National Council for Civic Education, as usual, is out to engage communities within these two wards, which are Bantanjang Ward and also Kaiaf Ward, to inform them of their civic rights and the importance of this by election, because often we see the presidential elections as the most important one to put it into context, and we tend to see the local government elections or the councillor’s elections as something that is not really that relevant or important,” he said.
Mr. Bah added that the council’s mandate extends beyond election periods, emphasizing that civic education is essential to sustaining democratic participation and peace before, during, and after polls. He called on communities to ensure peaceful nomination processes and urged political parties and supporters to demonstrate tolerance throughout the campaign.
“And especially with this one being a by-election, we feel it is also important as an institution to take it up and go out to the communities as we do, not just when it’s time for elections or other engagement, but with this by-election also to go out and inform communities of their civic rights and responsibilities,” he said.
Community members who attended the sessions welcomed the initiative, describing it as timely and necessary ahead of the January by-elections. Several participants said the discussions had clarified the relevance of councillors’ roles and reinforced the need for calm and responsible participation in the electoral process.
The January vote will fill vacant councillorship seats in Mansakonko and Brikama Area Councils, elections that officials say are key to maintaining effective local governance.