Written by Pa Nderry M’Bai

There are concerned citizens, who are planning to challenge the candidacy of The leader of The Gambia Democratic Congress Party (GDC) Mama Kandeh, amid reports suggesting that the GDC leader, hasn’t finished his secondary school education, talk less of attending any high school in The Gambia, or obtaining any University degree, as he allegedly falsely claimed over the years in his IEC nomination submission papers, Freedom Newspaper has been reliably informed. Kandeh, who submitted his nomination papers today before the country’s electoral commission, his nomination is likely going to be objected on the grounds that he hasn’t met the constitutionally required qualifications for candidates aspiring for the Presidency.

Per the 1997 constitution, candidates seeking to run as Presidential candidates should meet the following requirements: One, he or she must finished his or her high school education, two, He or she must reach the age of 30, and three, he or she must be able to secure 5000 signatures of voters backing his or her candidacy.

According to sources reaching the Freedom Newspaper, Mama Kandeh dropped out from the Banjul based Crab Island Secondary School, when he was in form three. Kandeh never sat to the Secondary Forth Examination.

Source said Kandeh even had to secure a testimonial from the former Principal of the Crab Island Secondary School one Mr. Dana to legitimize the alleged fraudulent nomination papers that he submitted to the Independent Electoral Commission back in the December  2016 Presidential elections.

“In 2016, some GDC officials obtained a testimonial for him from the former principal of Crab Island Mr. Dana and that was the testimonial that was used together with a degree from a college in Mexico, which he claimed to have attended; does not exit and it is not true,” a source told us.

“The testimonial that was submitted is not a secondary fourth leaving certificate.  It is not a testimony.  Dana prepared a testimonial for him that he finished Crab Island when he did not. He dropped out from form three. That testimonial was used together with the College in Mexico, which he claimed to have attended online. He has never step foot in Mexico. He cannot provide any proof of attending any online studies. He may have probably be paying for the course.  He did not attend that college in Mexico. It was just obtained online,” our source added.

Kandeh, a former APRC MP, registered the GDC prior to the 2016 Presidential elections. He had a fallout with dictator Jammeh, and he decided to set up his own party.

According to sources, the nomination papers that Kandeh submitted to the IEC in 2016 was allegedly fraudulent. Our source said Kandeh’s ops even knew that he wasn’t qualified to run, but they decided to ignore him for political reasons. His ops thought that his candidacy was going to help them defeat Jammeh, and Jammeh had never perceived him as a threat, our sources added.

“The testimonial that he submitted in 2016 is fraud. He never finished his form four. He dropped out in form 3.  He cannot mention anybody that he had exams with,” said one source, who spoke on condition of strict anonymity.

“In his profile with the IEC, he said, he attended GTTI.  There is no record of him of having ever gone to GTTI.  I know of recent, he registered with one college in Italy for an MBA program.  I am aware of his registration.  He would have submitted that fraudulent degree that he falsely obtained from the college in Mexico to be admitted,” our source added.

Kandeh told the local press this morning that he submitted his nomination papers as a GDC Presidential candidate. He says the breakaway APRC group that backed his candidacy isn’t a registered political party. He also says he hasn’t reached any agreement with the group for Jammeh to be granted amnesty if he is elected into office.

The GDC spokesman Honorable Omar Ceesay, who is the MP for Niamina East, was contacted for comment but he wasn’t available.