Independent presidential aspirant Marie Sock Jobarteh has reportedly joined the United Democratic Party, UDP, and endorsed Lawyer Ousainou Darboe for President in the Dec 4, 2021 elections, The Alkamba Times can report.
She is expected to make this public in an announcement soon, multiple sources have told Alkamba Times.
Sock in an interview with the Fatu Network early Monday evening announced that she intends to be a candidate in the next presidential election in 2026.
Last week, she made history as the first female Gambian ever to file nomination papers to contest in a presidential election.
The IEC scuttled her bid to be a candidate in the Dec 4, 2021 presidential election.
She was one of the 15 aspirants whose nomination papers were rejected by he IEC.
It would be recalled that the IEC over the weekend announced that only six out of the 21, who submitted their nomination papers, were deemed qualified to participate in the election.
The reason given for her rejection was that “she did not fulfill the legal requirement, and did not submit the assets declaration.”
However, Sock also has dual nationality, being a citizen of both The Gambia and the United States.
Gambia’s constitution says a person with dual nationality is not qualified to contest in the country’s presidential elections.
Meanwhile, Sock was among the rejected aspirants trooping to State House, all of whom, except Sock, have reportedly endorsed Adama Barrow’s candidacy.
On Monday, Alkamba Times reported that Marie Sock held closed door meetings with President Adama Barrow at State House in Banjul.
“Yes, I can tell you the big man had closed door meetings with Independent candidate Marie Sock twice at State house.
“The outcome of the meeting is not clear to me, but I was told Marie refused Barrow’s offer,” one source with knowledge of the meeting told The Alkamba Times.
Every Gambian have the constitutional right to endorse, support and vote the political party of their choice.
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