Following the Gambian presidential elections on Friday, 22nd September, 2006, the incumbent, Mr Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh, was re-elected for another five-year term. Saturday, 23rd September, marked the beginning of the third presidential term for Mr. Yahya AJJ Jammeh.

According to the Independent Electoral Commission, the electorate cast 67.33% of their votes for the APRC candidate, representing 264,404 votes, whilst the flag bearer of UDP/NRP/GPDP Alliance, Mr. Ousainou Darboe, received 104, 808 (26.69%) of the votes cast and the NADD candidate, Mr. Halifa Sallah, polled 23, 473 votes (5.98%). In 2001, Jammeh polled 242, 302 votes (52.96%) whilst Darboe of the UDP received 141, 387 votes (35.84%). It has been Mr. Sallah’s first time to run for the presidential seat.

On Friday, 22nd September, Gambian voters converged at voting centers throughout the country to choose their president for the coming five years. Voting started at 07.00 and it was meant to end at 16.00. However, due to heavy rains in some parts of The Gambia, the voting time was extended to 18:00 pm.

In total, there were 670,336 registered voters for the elections, accounting for 51.56% of the total population of The Gambia. However, only 392, 685 citizens, representing less than 60 per cent of the registered voters, turned up at the polls on 22nd September. Voting took place peacefully around the country.

Two days before the elections, Mrs. Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay, a nominated National Assembly Member for the APRC, predicted their win by stating: “I am overconfident. The worst scenario would be in the 70%.” She expressed the belief that “Jammeh is the new type of man Africa needs because he is up for development.” She further went on to add: “These are not elections. It is just a constitutional requirement that he has to go through, and visit the people every year and it is called ‘Dialogue with the people.’ He is not campaigning,”

Soon after the announcement of the election results, Saturday afternoon, President Jammeh called a Press Conference at the State House in Banjul. He thanked the electorate for “speaking their minds” and called upon the other political leaders to work together towards the development of The Gambia.