Adama Barrow, the man who won The Gambia’s disputed election, was sworn in as president yesterday in Senegal. This is just as former President Yahya Jammeh has succumbed to pressure and gone into exile.
Barrow took the oath at the country’s embassy in Dakar, Senegal, ordering Gambian soldiers to remain in their barracks.
Jammeh had earlier refused to vacate office, with the parliament extending his tenure by three months.
Efforts by West African leaders to persuade Jammeh to accept electoral defeat have been futile, and as such they have threatened to remove him by force. Jammeh lost the presidential election on December 1, 2016, according to the Gambian electoral commission; however, he wants the results cancelled, claiming errors in the electoral process.
Part of Barrow’s oath of office reads: “I, Adama Barrow, do swear that I’ll well and truly prosecute the functions of office the president of the Republic of The Gambia; that I will preserve and defend the constitution.”
At his inauguration speech, Barrow ordered all members of The Gambia’s armed forces to remain in their barracks. He warned that those found illegally holding arms will be considered rebels.
Those in attendance at the ceremony include Western ambassadors to Senegal, the UN envoy for West Africa and top officials from the regional bloc, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), among others, while hundreds of Gambian expatriates gathered outside the compound.
President Jammeh’s term was due to end yesterday before Gambia’s parliament extended it by three months. The parliament had also, on Wednesday, approved Jammeh’s decision to announce a 90-day state of emergency in the country.
ECOWAS leaders are determined to oust Jammeh and enthrone President Barrow by military means if the former remained adamant.
Military sources had told the BBC that troops from the subregion, led by Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal, had been deployed to the tiny West African country to make good the threat.
A Nigeria warship has sailed for The Gambia while the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) deployed 200 men and arsenal, including fighter jets, transport aircraft, light utility helicopter as well as surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence equipment to Dakar, the capital of The Gambia’s neighbour, Senegal.
Nigeria’s contingent, led by Air Cdr. Tajudeen Yusuf, was airlifted from 117 Air Combat Training Group in Kainji.
The chief of air staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who addressed the contigent before their departure, told them to maintain absolute discipline and professionalism during their mission
Senegal had given Jammeh yesterday’s midnight as deadline to quit and its troops were reported to have moved towards the border with The Gambia in readiness to throw him out.
To escape the looming crisis, thousands of Western tourists are being evacuated from The Gambia, a country popular for its beaches and frequented by European holidaymakers.
The tourists are responding to new travel advice from the UK Foreign Office.
The West African country was thrown into chaos after Jammeh rejected Barrow’s victory in the December 1 election.
Jammeh had initially accepted the result, but, in a surprise turn, changed his mind days later, citing electoral “abnormalities”.
Both the AU and ECOWAS told Jammeh they would not recognise him as president after the expiry of his term yesterday.
The US State Department also encouraged Jammeh to hand over power to Barrow, but all sensible appeals seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
Regarding the elections, and of the two results, the earlier one announced 24 hours after the polls displayed a large gap between Jammeh and Barrow, however, an amended version showed a closer margin between the two.
According to original results for both parties, Barrow won 263,515 votes (45.5 per cent), while the then President Jammeh won 212,099 (36.7 per cent).
The amended results published after the correction showed that Barrow won 222,708 votes (43.3 per cent) while Jammeh took 208,487 (39.6 percent).
Leadership