Leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, has launched a scathing criticism of the Barrow administration’s recent decision to issue Gambian national identity cards in foreign countries such as Gabon and Mauritania, describing it as a blatant violation of the country’s laws.
Addressing thousands of Gambians in the provincial town of Farafenni on Saturday, Darboe questioned the legality and motive behind the government’s move to distribute ID cards abroad, warning that it could lead to serious political and legal consequences.
“You’ve all heard that they went to Mauritania on the pretext of issuing ID cards,” Darboe said. “We all saw the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mamadou Tangara, on national television claiming that they intend to help Gambians in Gabon with a national document — the Gambian ID card. But let me be clear: no Gambian resides in Mauritania or Gabon without holding a valid Gambian passport. These countries are not members of ECOWAS, so one cannot travel there without a passport.”
Darboe pointed out that the Gambia’s National Citizenship Act lays out specific procedures for the issuance of national documents, which, according to him, the current administration is violating. “When a passport expires, the law allows you to obtain another from a diplomatic mission. But for an ID card, a registrar must be appointed, and that appointment must be gazetted,” he explained.
He noted that the law requires that regional commissioners convene meetings of local chiefs and Alkalolu to coordinate ID card distribution and inform communities of eligibility criteria. “Do we have Gambian regional commissioners in Gabon? Do we have district chiefs in Mauritania?” Darboe asked rhetorically. “Why would you go there when the law clearly states that all ID card issuance must take place within this country?”
Darboe accused the government of ulterior motives, alleging that the foreign ID card issuance exercise is designed to register non-Gambians with Gambian surnames for voting purposes ahead of the next presidential election. “You go overseas, issuing Gambian ID cards to non-citizens just because they have Gambian surnames. Is this really about national documentation, or is it about manufacturing votes?”
“This must not be allowed,” Darboe warned. “Gambians are awake now. An ID card is not some worthless paper to be handed to every Tom, Dick, and Harry.”
He also issued a stern piece of advice to President Adama Barrow: “Consult your Justice Minister, Dawda Jallow, before this becomes a major embarrassment. We must govern by the law.”
The veteran politician concluded his remarks with a call for legal governance and transparency, urging Gambians who believe in the rule of law to vote for the UDP in the upcoming election.
“If we want rule of law to govern this country, then the choice is clear,” he said.
