The Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission has suspended the National Convention Party (NCP) from all electoral activities citing infighting within the party as the reason.

The Commission in a press release on Friday said:”The suspension is caused by the fact that the NCP failed to hold one unified party congress but held two different party congresses and has announced two party leaders.

“The decision to suspend the NCP is sourced from Section 127 of the Elections Act.”

The press release, which was signed by the Commission chairman, Alieu Momar Njie, stated that suspension is with immediate effect.

The ongoing civil war in the party is between Manjako Samusa and Dr Bolong Bojang. Manjako had claimed that he was elected party leader when Dr Bojang resigned as party leader after losing the Coalition election primaries to Adama Barrow in 2016.

“It was through my efforts that I led the party throughout the Coalition processes, and endorsed and signed the Coalition agreement on behalf of NCP. I also guided the party in the national elections that followed, although we could not win a single seat,” Manjako told delegates at one of the party congresses held at Tallinding Buffer Zone last December.

The once dominant political party has been relegated to the fringes of Gambian politics. The NCP was founded by late Sheriff Mustapha Dibba, a former vice president of The Gambia and Speaker of the National Assembly.