DEMOCRACY UNDER SIEGE IN NYANGEN: BARROW GOVERNMENT MUST ANSWER

By Tombong Saidy, UNITE Movement

In a deeply troubling development that strikes at the very core of our democracy, credible reports from Nyangen village in Niani Constituency confirm that the Governor of CRR North, Ousman Bah, has ordered the seizure of the official stamp of the Alkalo, Alhagie Baboucar Mbye.

Let us be clear: this is not rumor, speculation, or political exaggeration. The Deputy Governor, Sainey Mbye, has confirmed that the stamp was indeed taken. I personally called him through his mobile number.

And the alleged reason? The Alkalo’s son, Mbye Nyan, is a member of the opposition UNITE movement. This represents one of the most blatant abuses of administrative authority in recent memory.

At a time when the country is undergoing a critical supplementary voter registration process ahead of the December 5th, 2026 elections, the seizure of an Alkalo’s stamp is not just an administrative act, it is a calculated political weapon.

In rural Gambia, the Alkalo’s stamp is not ceremonial. It is essential. It is required for attestations that enable citizens to register to vote among many other uses. By confiscating this stamp, the authorities have effectively locked hundreds, if not thousands, of eligible citizens out of the democratic process.

This is not governance. This is voter suppression.

Under what law does a governor possess the power to seize the official instrument of a village head? What statute, what regulation, what constitutional provision grants Ousman Bah such sweeping authority?

Or is this action the result of political directives from higher up the chain of command, perhaps from Hamat Bah, or even from Adama Barrow himself?

These are not idle questions. They go to the heart of whether The Gambia is governed by laws or by political whims.

The implications are chilling. If an Alkalo can be punished because of his son’s political affiliation, then no citizen is safe from state intimidation. Today it is Nyangen. Tomorrow, it could be any village, any community, any Gambian who dares to think differently.

This is precisely how democracies erode, not always through dramatic coups, but through small, calculated acts of repression carried out under the cover of authority.

The people of Nyangen now face an impossible situation. Without the Alkalo’s stamp, they cannot obtain the attestations required for voter registration. Without registration, they cannot vote. And without the vote, they are effectively erased from the democratic process.

This is a direct violation of their constitutional rights.

A government that claims democratic legitimacy cannot, in the same breath, deny its citizens the basic means to participate in elections. Such contradiction exposes the widening gap between the Barrow administration’s rhetoric and its actions.

The seizure of the Alkalo’s stamp is not just an attack on one man or one village. It is an attack on the rule of law, on local governance structures, and on the democratic rights of all Gambians.

The demands must be immediate and unequivocal:

1. The unconditional return of the Alkalo’s stamp to Alhagie Baboucar Mbye.
2. The restoration of full access to attestation services for all residents of Nyangen.
3. A transparent and independent investigation into the actions of Ousman Bah and all those involved.
4. Clear legal clarification on the limits of gubernatorial authority.

Anything less would amount to complicity.

Gambians are watching. And history has shown that when the right to vote is threatened, the people do not forget.

Come December 5th, 2026, the ballot box will not only be a choice of leadership, it will be a verdict on whether this country stands for democracy or descends into politically motivated repression.

No amount of intimidation, coercion, or administrative manipulation can extinguish the will of the people.

Democracy must prevail.