‘Joseph Colley misled the nation’ — Essa Njie

By Hadram Hydara

Political analyst and PhD student Essa Njie has accused Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chairman Joseph Colley of misleading the public by citing the wrong constitutional provisions when warning about unregistered political groups.

In a written opinion piece on Friday, Njie said Colley’s claim that such activities violated “section 105 of the 1997 constitution and sections 105 to 110 of the Elections Act 2025” was incorrect, arguing that “section 105 only relates to language in the National Assembly. To correct Mr. Colley, it is section 60, not section 105, that talks about the sponsoring of candidates.”

Njie explained that under section 60, only registered political parties can sponsor candidates, while individuals outside party structures may contest as independents. He stressed that “none of the unregistered political groups have sponsored a candidate for elections, not even the Unite Movement for Change (UMC), [which] many believe Mr. Colley was referring to.”

He added that if the UMC attempted to sponsor a candidate, the IEC’s role would be to reject the nomination, not to accuse groups prematurely. Njie also criticised Colley’s reference to sections 105–110 of the Elections Act, saying these apply only to registered parties: “How can a law apply to me when I am not bound by the provisions of that law?”

Njie warned the IEC against politicising its mandate, insisting it must safeguard the integrity of the December polls: “The IEC must be seen to protect the integrity of the December polls and not to target certain political entities. Joe could and should do better.”

Njie’s criticism came after Colley told reporters that the activities of some unregistered political groups amounted to “a clear violation of section 105 of the 1997 constitution and sections 105 to 110 of the Elections Act 2025.”

The remarks have sparked debate over the commission’s handling of unregistered political movements and its interpretation of electoral law.