FACT-CHECK: Has Prez Barrow reduced power cuts from 19 times a day to 3 times a day during his first term in office?

Claim: President Barrow's government has reduced power cuts from 19 times a day in 2017 to three times a day in 2021 Source: Adama Barrow Verdict: FALSE For the first time in 3 years, president-elect Adama Barrow engaged journalists at the State House on December 7- his last press conference was in August 2018. It was also his first press conference since winning the December 4 presidential elections with 53% of total votes cast. During the media engagement (7:03), the Gambian leader, touting his achievements, in his first five-year term, said he has reduced frequent power cuts from 19 times a day in 2017 to 2 times a day...

December 15, 2021Factchecking
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Was President elect Barrow’s response to a Malagen question entirely correct?

Claim: the Auditor General’s office ONLY recommended that missing diplomatic passport books should be cancelled Source: President elect Adama Barrow Verdict: false On December 7, president elect Adama Barrow faced journalists at State House for the first time since his press conference in August 2018. It was also his first press conference since winning the December 4 presidential elections with a 53% margin. During the interview (50:14), the Malagen journalist asked if Barrow would, as recommended by the Auditor General, cancel the diplomatic passports in circulation and issue new ones. In 2017, when Barrow took over, he has found 271 diplomatic passports in circulation. In 2019, Barrow administration issued 1,175 diplomatic...

December 8, 2021Factchecking
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Fake news alert! UDP has not filed a petition at the Supreme Court

There is an audio going viral on WhatsApp groups claiming the United Democratic Party has filed a petition at the Supreme Court against the December 4 presidential election results.The December 4 presidential election in the Gambia has given President Adama Barrow a lead, amassing 53% of the votes cast. All but two major contenders, the Gambia Democratic Congress and United Democratic Party, have contested the results of the polls declared free and fair by local and international observers. A voice of an unnamed individual calling for a protest and violence is saying there is a UDP petition coming at the...

December 7, 2021Election Hub, Factchecking
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Misinformation alert: the results of presidential elections that gave Adama Barrow a lead has not been rejected by any court!!!

A video of the European Union Election Observer Mission ’chief election observer is being shared on WhatsApp by people, attributing claims to him that the results of the 2021 presidential election which gave Adama Barrow a lead has been rejected by a court. It did not specify which courts have heard the case. The video of Chief Observer Norbert Neuser was edited to a portion where he said: “The IEC has been held in high esteem by stakeholders since the 2016 presidential election. This public standing was, however, diminished AFTER COURT FINDINGS THAT THE IEC HAD ACTED UNLAWFULLY. The...

December 6, 2021Election Hub, Factchecking
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Factsheet: Important things to know about the election day

The Gambia will hold its first presidential election since Jammeh on Saturday 4 December 2021. At least 962,157 people registered to vote across the country. Here are some important facts about the election: Who are the candidates?   The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) confirmed the nomination of six presidential candidates to contest the polls. The parties and their candidates are (alphabetical order):            Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh – National Unity Party (NUP)·         Adama Barrow – National People’s Party (NPP)·         Essa Mbaye Faal – Independent Candidate·         Halifa Sallah – People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS)·         Mamma Kandeh – Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC)·         Ousainou ANM Darboe...

December 1, 2021Election Hub, Factchecking
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Fake: Halifa Sallah has not told voters to accept money from corrupt politicians, and then vote for System Change

This statement has been carefully studied by the Malagen media monitoring desk. We are currently monitoring all election campaigns, including the PDOIS presidential campaign and have reviewed the campaign addresses made by Halifa Sallah. But we have found no evidence that Sallah made the statements being attributed to him.

November 30, 2021Election Hub, Factchecking
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Fact check: Ousainu Darboe was the leader of the pressure group dubbed ‘3 Years Jotna

Claim: The leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP) is the chief executive of the ‘Three Years Jotna’ Source: Incumbent Adama Barrow Verdict: The claim is false During the 2016 presidential election campaign, Barrow made a campaign promise that if elected, he would serve for only three years, instead of constitutionally mandated five years. He would then preside over a fresh election on a levelled-playing field in which he would not participate. This promise was premised on the agreement he had with seven political party leaders and other independent candidates that backed him. According to the agreement, the president should resign in January 2020 having been sworn...

November 15, 2021Election Hub, Factchecking
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Fact sheet: important decisions and timelines on presidential elections calendar

The Independent Electoral Commission has cleared 6-candidates for Gambia’s December 4 presidential elections. Below are the key information you need to know. Accepted nominations A.N.M Ousainu Darboe – United Democratic Party; Mamma Kandeh – Gambia Democratic Congress; Halifa Baboucarr Sallah – Peoples’ Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism; Adama Barrow – National Peoples’ Party, Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh – National Unity Party and an independent candidate Essa Mbye Faal. Cancellations Independent candidates Mathew Gomez, Tamsir M. Jassey and Mamadou Bah and political parties Gambia For All and All Peoples’ Party have cancelled their nominations. Rejected candidates The electoral authorities rejected nomination of 15 candidates due to non-compliance...

November 14, 2021Election Hub, Factchecking
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Fact check: Ousainou Darboe threatens to deport Senegalese if elected into office

Claim: Ousainou Darboe, the leader of the United Democratic Party threatens to deport Senegalese if he is elected president Source: Senego (Senegalese medium) Verdict: Unverifiable claim, UDP denied such statements Senegalese online paper, Senego, has published an article in French on the November 13, 2021 title ‘Gambia: Candidate Ousseynou Dabo threatens to extricate Senegalese if elected President.’ The person who authored the report on Senego is Cheikh Tidiane Kandé. The article was reproduced by other online outlets, including Buzz Senegal and News.in-24 sites. Claim Gambians are heading to polls to elect a president on December 4. Campaigns are on high gear as candidates tour the...

November 10, 2021Election Hub, Factchecking
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Fact check: is report on Barrow’s property ownership in Senegal true?

Claim: Senegalese investigative journalist Pape Ale Niang says incumbent Adama Barrow, tourism minister Hamat Bah own property in Senegal Source: Widely circulated on social media Verdict: false Gambians are heading to polls on December 4, and campaigns on what is a competition of 6 candidates for country’s top job has begun on November 9. Personal attacks, misinformation and disinformation increases with rising political tension. In the last few weeks, a widely circulated message on social media and WhatsApp claims a Senegalese journalists Pape Ale Niang said incumbent Adama Barrow and his tourism minister Hamat Bah had procured properties in Senegal. Claim A widely circulated information attributed...

November 9, 2021Election Hub, Factchecking
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