By Adama Makasuba
Citizens’ Alliance (CA)has accused Sambujang Njie, chief executive officer of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of ‘conspiring with a political party’ to stop its candidate from contesting the December election.
Speaking at an organised news conference held over the weekend, Dr Ismaila Ceesay, said: “we call on Civil Society, we call on the international community, we call on observers who are here to observe the election both international and local observers and we call on all citizens to be vigilant as the IEC is unfit for purpose. We are going into a very high-stake election this year. We love our country and we will jealously guard its peace and stability. But IEC action has the potential to derail our election and undermine the peace and stability of this country if their spitefulness is not restrained.”
“An important election like this, IEC cannot act like we are in a dictatorship, one man runs the entire institution as we speak and that’s Sambujang Njie. He decides what happens. He decides who will run and who will not run. The chairman of the IEC is weak. He is not in charge of that Institution. It’s Sambujang Njie who controls and we are privy to credible information that stakeholders had ask them to allow and follow due process and in fact, they will be given extra support to make sure due process is followed but Sambujang is saying no, and he must ensure that Citizens’ Alliance is not on the ballot box. This is spitefulness, this vindictiveness and we will not allow it,” he added.
“Sambujang needs to be restrained or he will single-handedly jeopardise the peace of this country. In fact, I must say this with confidence and I want everybody to listen to this. We have credible information that Sambujang has been leaning to a particular political party in this country,” he continued.
However, when contacted via telephone, Sambujang Njie, chief executive officer of the Independent Electoral Commission dismissed the allegation and urged Citizens’ Alliance and Dr Ismaila Ceesay to talk to his office and not him as a person.
What I have to tell you is that he (Dr Ceesay) is taking it personal and I don’t respond to personal allegations. This is an office and he should talk to the office, not me,” Mr Njie told The Voice Newspaper.
CA accuses IEC Top official of conspiracy to stop its candidate
