This action, carried out under the pretext of serving Gambians in the Diaspora, lacks transparency, legal basis, and credible verification mechanisms.
The UDP firmly believes that this process is unlawful, politically motivated, and poses a serious threat to the integrity of the upcoming 2026 presidential elections.
Governments around the world issue passports to their citizens abroad through embassies and consulates—not national ID cards, which are meant to be issued within the national territory under strict documentation and biometric control. The issuance of ID cards abroad, especially in countries with weak civil registration systems and porous borders—raises the specter of fraud, manipulation, and mass registration of non-Gambians.
The UDP is deeply concerned that:
These ID cards may be used to illegally register foreign nationals as voters;
The government may later renegotiate and introduce diaspora voting, leaving those issued ID cards eligible to vote in 2026 Presidential Elections;
This entire scheme is a deliberate ploy to rig the upcoming elections.
We call on:
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to clarify its involvement and distance itself from this unconstitutional process;
The National Assembly to immediately summon the Minister of Interior and the Director General of Immigration to account for this initiative;
The Gambian civil society, political parties, and international partners to closely monitor and condemn this dangerous abuse of the national identification system.
The UDP remains committed to safeguarding the democratic process and will pursue all legal and political avenues to ensure that the 2026 elections are free, fair, and credible.
