Hundreds of thousands of Gambians are heading to the polls on Saturday to elect city mayors and other local representatives who will run regional councils for the next five years.

This is an exercise coming a month after the election for local councillors witnessed a strong showing by the opposition United Democratic Party.

Gambians vote using crystal marbles slot inside drums adorned with the colours of political parties and mugshots of their candidates.

Saturday’s poll is seen as a further test of the popularity of President Adama Barrow and his ruling National People’s Party (NPP) which had performed below expectation in national assembly elections last year.

The opposition United Democratic Party is looking to consolidate its gains made in the national assembly and local government elections especilally in the city of Banjul and the biggest municipality, Kanifing.

Both incumbents are UDP members.

Banjul’s current female mayor Rohey Malick Lowe, a UDP executive member faces stiff challenge from her NPP rival Ebou Faye while incumbent Kanifing municipal chairman Talib Ahmed Bensouda is also seeking a second triumph over familiar foe in Bakary Badjie who is President Barrow’s Youth and Sport minister.

Another key battleground is the mayoral seat of the West Aocast Region where Seedy Ceesay, the NPP candidate is contending with UDP lawyer Yankuba Darboe, who is seen as the favourite.

Several other candidate are vying for the same chairmanship position and others in the interior of the country.

Those elected have a huge say in the running of municipal affairs including development issues which had dogged most area councils in The Gambia for decades.

Polling began at 8am and ends at 5pm but there are fears of the same low voter turnout, which had dogged last month’s local government elections.

The results will be announced by the Independent Electoral Commission later on Saturday evening.

At least 962, 157 Gambians are registered to take part in the last round of the current election cycle which began with the presidential elections in December 2021.

Over the past few weeks President Barrow had led a spirited NPP campaign to stop candidates of his former party, UDP from winning the key minicipalities of Kanifing, Banjul and the West Coast Region.

Source: WN/as/APA