By Ndey Sowe
The 2025 National Youth Parliament elections officially concluded on Wednesday, July 16, with 53 youth parliamentarians elected out of 146 contestants, marking not just an administrative milestone but a significant national breakthrough and a powerful declaration that the era of youth exclusion in Gambian politics is definitively over.
This election has illustrated that the future is already upon us, resonating with the voices of young Gambians from all 53 constituencies. For the first time in the history of the National Youth Parliament (NYP), elections were organised on a direct, constituency-based level—fully participatory, youth-managed, and utilising traditional paper ballots.
Despite the absence of initial funding, the NYP stemmed the challenges with innovation, launching a digital voter registration platform that, after overcoming various technical glitches, was made accessible nationwide.
Baboucarr Nyang, Chairperson of the Electoral Committee, provided insights into the polling and voting processes.
“As a result, 23,111 young people registered to vote. We followed this up with aggressive online and offline voter education campaigns to promote informed, peaceful, and meaningful youth participation,” he stated.
Conducted over three days across 53 constituencies, the elections faced logistical challenges, leading to the establishment of one polling station per constituency. Nyang noted that ultimately, 10,378 young voters participated in the elections, with ballots counted immediately on-site in the presence of agents and observers.
However, significant incidents during the elections illuminated ongoing challenges. The Jarra East incident saw disgruntled individuals, including supporters of certain candidates, storm a polling station shortly after the close of voting, attempting to disrupt the counting process. In response, the Returning Officer, with assistance from the Gambia Police Force, secured the ballot box and ensured the safety of all materials and personnel.
“NYP swiftly intervened. We held open and honest dialogues with all affected candidates and stakeholders, de-escalating tensions and addressing misunderstandings to agree on a peaceful resumption of vote counting in the presence of candidates and their accredited agents,” said Nyang.
Another issue raised was the interference allegations in Wuli East. Nyang confirmed that compelling claims of political interference had been escalated to the NYP’s Petitions Panel, which is currently reviewing these along with other legitimate complaints from candidates throughout the constituencies.
Nyang emphasised the Commission’s steadfast commitment to impartiality, assuring that every allegation is taken seriously and that decisive, constitutional actions will be taken, stressing that no candidate is above the electoral laws.
Looking at the electoral statistics, a total of 53 constituencies were covered, with 146 candidates contesting. Votes cast totalled 10,378, with 43 marked as invalid. Within a breakdown of 39 selected constituencies, 124 candidates (109 male, 15 female) participated, and a total of 6,042 votes were cast.
Nyang remarked that these figures demonstrate the passion, urgency, and preparedness of the Gambian youth to engage in democratic governance. The newly elected parliamentarians will serve a three-year term, representing the interests of young people in their constituencies, now empowered by a legitimate democratic mandate.
As the dust settles on this historic election, the message is clear: the youth of The Gambia are ready to take their rightful place at the heart of the political landscape, and their voices will no longer be sidelined.
