By Seedy Jobe
The National Youth President of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), Hagi Suwaneh, has expressed concern over alleged irregularities in the ongoing supplementary voter registration process, citing what he described as low youth participation and attempts to register underage individuals.
In a statement shared on his official Facebook page on Sunday, May 17, 2026, Suwaneh claimed that youth turnout had been notably low in several areas while alleging increased attempts to register minors in some communities.
He specifically referenced incidents in the Sandu constituency, stating that electoral officials had faced challenges related to the attestation process. According to him, resistance to alleged underage registration led to the withdrawal of two senior staff members, identified as Kissima Ceesay and another female official, from what he described as “high-attestation zones.”
“What I observed in this supplementary voter registration is low youth turnout and a high attempt at underage mobilization,” Suwaneh stated, adding that staff changes followed concerns raised about the process.
Suwaneh further alleged that an official of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in Nuade was operating “in a free environment” that, in his view, allowed for abuse of attestation procedures.
He also cited an incident in Nankui, where he said a dispute emerged over the registration of a suspected minor. He claimed that while one senior staff member was withdrawn, a senior registration officer (SRO) who allegedly issued the attestation in question remained in post.
“The senior staff was withdrawn, while the SRO who issued the attestation to the suspected minors remains in place,” Suwaneh alleged.
Suwaneh further alleged that the same officer, identified as Modou Jallow, had previously been involved in a similar incident in Nuade village. He claimed that Jallow had issued attestation forms to Hon. Jaiteh for distribution to applicants who, according to him, were required by law to appear in person if they lacked identification documents.
“Why are forms being made available to a third party? We are waiting to know these people,” Suwaneh said, questioning the procedure used in the distribution of registration documents.
The IEC has not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of publication.
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