West African Heads of States from Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone have arrived in Banjul, Gambia for a meeting with Gambia’s top government officials.
This meeting comes in the heels of Gambian President Yahya Jammeh’s rejection of December 01, 2016 elections results and refusal to step down after previously conceding defeat by political opponent Adama Barrow. Mr Barrow’s win will put an end to Jammeh’s 22 year rule.
President Buhari of Nigeria shared the following information on his Twitter account:
I am in The Gambia with other ECOWAS leaders to insist on the sanctity of the electoral process, and respect for the wishes of the people pic.twitter.com/5nbCVMb8Pf
— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) December 13, 2016
We will meet with President Yahya Jammeh, and also with President-elect Adama Barrow.
— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) December 13, 2016
We will be asking President Jammeh to respect his country’s Constitution, and to maintain the inviolability of the electoral process.
— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) December 13, 2016
According to electoral commission results, Mr Barrow gained 43.3% of the country’s votes compared to Jammeh’s 39.9% (BBC).
The sitting President announced a change of heart after the commission made slight adjustments to elections results. Adjustments that are believed to have little effect on the overall outcome.
The impact of today’s ECOWAS leadership meeting with President Jammeh and President-elect Barrow remains to be seen. Meanwhile, unrest is being reported in parts of the West African nation.
Gambia has a population of 1.849 million (2013 estimate). 75% of the country depends on Agriculture for sustenance and livelihood.
Many are urging the president to step down. The President-elect has promised to bring about much needed reform and to establish a smooth-running democracy for Gambia.