Gambians have urged the Independent Electoral Commission not to repeat mistakes of the 2016 presidential election that nearly plunged the country into civil war.

The commission made blunder with the results that led to former president Yahya Jammeh making a U-turn on his concession speech claiming the election was rigged. 

It caused an impasse that led to the Ecomig forces being deployed in The Gambia to dislodge Jammeh from power. 

As Gambians head to the polls tomorrow to elect their new leader, Fatoumatta Njie called for peace and tolerance. 

“No man is perfect and my advice to the IEC is that let them not repeat the mistakes that they did in 2016 by announcing the election results twice and they should take their time and do their work as expected of them,” she said.

“I will also advise the youth to go out in their numbers and vote and after voting let them go back to their homes and wait for the election results, and let them not commit any violence in the community,” she added.

Binta Njie expressed a free and fair election saying “I like the way the IEC is working and I’m sure that the election will be free and fair.”

“If the IEC is corrupt then CA and GMC leaders who sue them will not win their case so this shows that the election will be free and fair. I will advise the IEC not to repeat the same mistake they did in 2016 by announcing the election results twice,” she said.

Lamin Jammeh also echoed similar remarks saying “this year’s election will be fair because the people working at the IEC are all Gambians, because they know that if they commit any mistake, it will cause violence in the country.”

“IEC should learn from their mistakes that they did in 2016 by announcing the election results twice, let them be vigilant and do their work as expected of them hence they are not given a time frame which shows that they should be in a hurry to count or announce the election results,” he said.

According to Sulayman Dampha, this year’s election will be the best election in the Gambia and it will be free and fair, adding that he has trust in the IEC.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba