Hon. Modou Lamin Bah details several allegations of financial misconduct involving the IEC.

National Assembly Member for Banjul North, Hon. Modou Lamin B. Bah, has questioned the integrity of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and criticized what he described as systemic corruption within the administration of President Adama Barrow. Speaking on AG Radio, Hon. Bah responded to questions regarding the credibility of the electoral body and the broader state of governance in the country. He cited a series of audit findings and parliamentary reports that have raised concerns about financial management within the IEC. According to Hon. Bah, audit reports revealed that more than D12.7 million in allowances were disbursed outside the commission’s normal payroll system. The payments were reportedly made through cheques and cash withdrawals, a practice auditors said increased the risk of fraud and weakened internal financial controls. He also pointed to audit findings regarding the transfer of election funds to the personal bank accounts of Returning Officers. Some officers were found to have unreturned balances of over D1.8 million, raising questions of accountability and management of public funds, according to media reports. Hon. Bah further cited the findings of the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) which stated that the IEC failed to remit over D8.3 million of election-related revenues to the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The committee also highlighted weaknesses in procurement procedures and receipt management. Another issue raised by the lawmaker was a grant from ECOWAS to the tune of D534,000. In 2025 parliamentary scrutiny centred on the allegations of non-disclosure and non-accounting by the IEC of donor funds, which further raised questions about transparency and financial reporting. The Hon. Bah also referred to findings by the National Audit Office (NAO) and FPAC on the payment of some D15.8 million in allowances to commissioners and staff. The payments, which were said to include incentive bonuses, nomination allowances, supervision allowances and motivational tokens, were found to be unauthorized under the Electoral Service Code 2018 and classified as irregular by auditors. Hon. Bah cited these findings as reasons to believe that the allegations and audit observations have eroded public confidence in the IEC. He called for increased accountability including investigations into the alleged irregularities and the recovery of any public funds that may have been misappropriated. The IEC has in the past challenged certain aspects of particular audit findings, saying some of the spending was legitimate and in line with its operational duties. But the issues remain a source of public and political debate as the country moves towards future electoral contests.