The chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Alieu Momar Njai, will come to the end of his contract effective next month, official sources confirmed to The Standard.
IEC spokesman Pa Makan Khan told The Standard yesterday: “It is not secret that the chairman’s contract expires in March. He is still the chairman until then.”
He said he has no idea who Njai’s successor will be. Joseph Colley is Mr Njai’s deputy with Mrs Haddy Sedat Jobe-George, Anthony Robert Secka and Lamin Cham as commission members.
Alieu Momar Njai was appointed chairman of the IEC on 7th April 2016. He presided over the 1st December 2016 presidential election as returning officer which ushered in the change of government in The Gambia.
Over the past couple of years, Mr Njai has been the target of widespread criticisms from many quarters with calls for him to step down and not sully his enviable reputation.
His critics said he’s too old and frail for the rigours of the office saying he could not even audibly read out the certification of election results and had to be aided by an outsider.
Others claimed he overstayed in office beyond his legal mandate, calls Njai and his aides rejected.
