[ 2016-12-13 ]

Mahama joins ECOWAS leaders for mediation in The Gambia
President John Mahama will Tuesday join other West
African leaders to mediate the current political
situation in The Gambia.

President Mahama will join Chair of ECOWAS,
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia and
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to meet with
and persuade President Yahya Jammeh to hand power
over to Adama Barrow, the president-elect of the
West African country.

Jammeh conceded after losing the Presidential
election earlier this month to Barrow, a real
estate mogul who has never held a political
office.

“I’m calling you to wish you all the best, the
Gambian people have spoken and I have no reason to
contest the will of Almighty Allah,” Jammeh had
said at the time.

The December 1 vote saw Barrow win 222,708 votes
(43.3%), while Jammeh polled 208,487 (39.6%).

Jammeh made an about-turn on Friday, December 9,
2016, addressing the country in a televised
broadcast in which he announced the annulment of
the election and alluded to foreign influence on
the electoral body.

“After a thorough investigation, I have decided
to reject the outcome of the recent election,”
President Jammeh said.

“I lament serious and unacceptable abnormalities
which have reportedly transpired during the
electoral process. I recommend fresh and
transparent elections which will be officiated by
a god-fearing and independent electoral
commission.”

The UN Security Council has asked outgoing Gambian
President Yahya Jammeh to carry out a peaceful and
orderly transition of power to the
president-elect, Adama Barrow, the opposition
leader who was declared the winner of the December
1 election.

In a press statement issued on Saturday, December
10, 2016, the 15-member Council “strongly
condemned the outgoing Gambian President’s
rejection of the official election results
proclaimed by the country’s Independent
Electoral Commission”.

The UN Council asked Jammeh “to respect the
choice of the sovereign people of Gambia, as he
did on December 2, and to transfer, without
condition and undue delay, power to the
President-elect, Mr Adama Barrow.”

Source - Joyfm

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