Minister of Lands, Local Government and Religious Affairs Hamat N.K. Bah has launched a fierce attack on the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), accusing the party of deliberately targeting Wollof and Fula Gambians through voter registration objections.
Addressing supporters in Farafenni, North Bank Region, Bah alleged that the UDP’s objections during the voter registration review process disproportionately focused on members of the two ethnic communities, describing the alleged pattern as a threat to national unity.
“You recalled that there was a voter registration exercise in the country. There are many tribes in The Gambia, but UDP selected two tribes in the country: Wollof and Fula. Anyone they objected to was Wollof or Fula,” Bah alleged.
The minister went further, claiming that records from revising courts showed an overwhelming concentration of objections against Wollof and Fula registrants.
“In all the revising courts, 95 percent of those objected to by the UDP are either Wollof or Fula. Are we not part of the country? Are we foreigners?” he asked.
Bah invoked the history of the Senegambian region, citing the Saloum, Niani and Fuladou empires as evidence of the longstanding presence and historical roots of the communities he referenced.
“Do they forget about the Saloum Empire? Did they forget about the Niani Empire? They forget about the Fuladou Empire? Are we not part of the country?” he said.
Bah Issues Stark Warning
The minister’s criticism escalated into a broader warning to voters, as he accused the UDP of displaying what he described as signs of political exclusion.
“If you play with yourselves by voting for the UDP, you will pack and leave this country,” Bah told the gathering.
He insisted that the government side should not be blamed for ethnic tensions, arguing instead that he believed the opposition was responsible for creating divisions.
“UDP are the ones showing those signs, not us. They are the ones following us,” Bah said.
In one of the strongest passages of his address, Bah used the imagery of violence to warn voters against giving political power to those he accused of employing aggressive tactics while in opposition.
“Now it is up to you. He who does not have power yet but is using a cutlass to cut your legs, any day he has power he will cut your neck,” he warned.
Electoral Dispute Takes Centre Stage
Bah’s comments come as political parties prepare for the 2026 presidential election, with voter registration and the eligibility of registered voters becoming increasingly sensitive issues in the country’s political contest.
The minister’s allegations, particularly the claim that 95 percent of UDP objections targeted Wollof or Fula registrants, were not accompanied in the speech by specific court records or other documentary evidence that could independently substantiate the figure.
