By Mariama Marong
The Kanifing Revising Court has dismissed Amie Sankanu’s objection to Mai Ceesay’s voter registration, ruling that she did not provide enough evidence to show he was not entitled to remain on the voters’ list.
Magistrate Isatou Jallow ordered that Ceesay’s name remain on the register for Kololi, Serrekunda West Constituency. Sankanu told the court she lived in Kololi, was a registered voter and had worked as a polling agent during the 2026 supplementary voter registration. She said she objected because she did not know Ceesay and had never seen him in the community, where she said she had lived for 15 years.
She alleged that an unidentified National People’s Party (NPP) agent brought Ceesay to the registration centre in a party vehicle. She said he presented a birth certificate to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and was registered.
Sankanu said she doubted Ceesay’s citizenship because he was a first-time applicant and had not gone to the centre alone. She acknowledged that IEC officers did not reject his application after he presented a Gambian birth certificate.
The court also heard from Lamin Sambou, who said he knew about the objection but had not been present when Ceesay registered. Under cross-examination, he said he had not seen Ceesay’s birth certificate or witnessed the registration. He said others had told him about both the registration and the objection.
Another witness, Kaddy Demba, alleged that Ceesay presented a fake birth certificate. She said he was brought to the centre by Lamin Charm, whom she identified as an NPP agent, and that the incident led to a fight.
Demba said she suspected the certificate was fake because it was an old format. She told the court she had lived in Kololi for 20 years but had never seen Ceesay. She also said this was her first time working as a polling agent.
Under cross-examination, Demba said she had used an older, elongated birth certificate with a red stamp to obtain her own voter card. She said she had received it as a child and acknowledged that it was no longer valid.
She maintained that Ceesay’s certificate had alterations and an unauthentic stamp, but said she could not remember the stamp’s colour. Demba also said IEC officials inspected the document before accepting it, and admitted she had no evidence to prove it was fake.
Counsel Farage, representing Ceesay, told the court he would not call a defence because the evidence did not justify one. He argued that Sankanu’s testimony did not prove the allegations and that the challenge relied on presumption. He asked the court to dismiss the objection.
Sankanu’s lawyer was absent when the court considered the case for judgment and did not respond to Farage’s submissions.
Magistrate Jallow said the court had to decide whether Sankanu had proved that Ceesay was not eligible to remain on the register. She cited Section 13 of the Elections Act, 2025, which sets out voter-registration requirements and recognises documents including a birth certificate, Gambian passport, National Identity Card and an attestation from an Alkalo or Seyfo.
The magistrate also cited provisions of the Evidence Act and Elections Act on the burden of proof and the rules of evidence in Revising Court proceedings.
The court considered Sankanu’s claim that Ceesay’s birth certificate was invalid because the Ministry of Health had introduced a new format. The certificate was not presented in court, so the magistrate said she could not determine when it had been issued.
Jallow referred to a Ministry of Health press release announcing a new A4-format certificate with the Coat of Arms, national flag and a QR code. The release said the Ministry stopped issuing the old, elongated certificates on 28 February 2023 and advised holders to replace them. It also warned that fake certificates or the issuing of old certificates could be a felony under the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Divorces Act.
But the magistrate said the release did not invalidate certificates issued before that date. She said it was not itself a law and that no legislation had been identified giving it the power to invalidate previously issued certificates.
Jallow also questioned Demba’s evidence about the stamp, noting that she could not remember its colour. The magistrate said Demba had acknowledged that IEC officers inspected the document before registering Ceesay.
“The integrity of the electoral process requires that only legitimate concerns regarding questionable registrations be raised and be judicially examined. However, once the matter comes before the Court for determination, suspicion must give way to evidence,” Magistrate Jallow said.
She ruled that Sankanu had not proved that Ceesay was not a Gambian citizen or was not resident in the constituency where he was registered. The court dismissed the objection and ordered that Ceesay’s name remain on the voters’ list.
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