President Muhammadu Buhari, together with Presidents of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, are part of a high level delegation to meet with Yahya Jammeh, Gambia’s incumbent President and get him to accept his defeat in this month’s election in Gambia.
Liberia’s Sirleaf Johnson will lead the delegation that will seat with the incumbent and President-elect to seek a peaceful and successful transition of government.
Jammeh has led the country for the past 22 years. On December 2nd, the electoral commission leader announced that Jammeh was ready to concede defeat after his forceful take over of government 22 years ago in a coup.
He was said to have conceded his defeat in the elections and was open to a successful handover to the president-elect Adama Barrow.
However, Jammeh has since denounced the results and has announced his intention to challenge the election results at the nation’s Supreme Court.
“We are not talking about a military option. We want to safeguard our democracy and we want peace,” Barrow said, but added that he was concerned for his own security.
Gambia has no sitting Supreme Court. Legal experts believe at least four judges must be hired to enable a case for Jammeh.
“We do not recognise that the outgoing president has the constitutional authority in the last days of his presidency, to appoint any Supreme Court judges in the Gambia for the purpose of receiving his petition,” opposition figure Mai Fatty said.
