The Botoe campaign committee says in spite of complaints outlining several violations that needed to be addressed for the safety of their participation, the National Elections Commission has unilaterally rescheduled the elections for January 7, 2021.The team representing the candidate said to be in the lead, Botoe Kanneh, expressed strongly that it is necessary to have the election date readjusted in order to resolve the issues because as it is, the supporters are still apprehensive of the integrity in this election.
According to the campaign committee, some of the issues submitted for redress were how to create a secured environment for their candidate to effectively campaign; giving back the Voter Registration Cards seized from supporters by the Immigration Commander only identified as Fayiah, the assigned Inspector General in the area and to release supporters from prison who are currently illegally detained without due process.
Other contentions were the relocation of the voting area from Normodotahun to an ideal area due to the security concerns and that all eligible voters must be allowed to vote without being molested.
The team noted that without addressing any of the concerns which are very cardinal to the way forward for the holding of the election, the NEC has announced an election date, which for them, in no way settles or solves the problems.
The campaign committee however expressed that presently it is challenged pointing out, “We are actually in dire need of any assistance at moment to enable us participate.”
Meanwhile, the female senatorial candidate reechoed that she does not envisage a free, fair and transparent election on Thursday, January 7 due to what has happened and is still happening with few days to the poll but assured that she is going to participate in the process on the date schedule.
Addressing a news conference on yesterday in Congo Town, Madam Kanneh emphasized, “I am not really ready for this election because the election scheduled for January 7 and nothing has been done by the NEC to give us hope that the process will be free, fair and transparent and that there will be a peaceful and conducive atmosphere for the residents to exercise their constitutional franchise.”
She stressed that her decision to contest the senatorial seat in the county was not to enrich herself but to served her people adding, “Gbarpolu county is the worst underdeveloped county in the country” and call on the international community and election stakeholders to observe the process.