ECOWAS, AU cannot force Jammeh to step down- Gambian minister
- The Gambian Ministry of Information has said that the outgoing President Yahyah Jammeh would not leave office on January 19 when his tenure will end
-Jammeh had asked the high-level ECOWAS mediation mission led by President Muhammadu Buhari not to come to the country on Wednesday, January 11, for talks.
- Gambia's president-elect Adama Barrow has reiterated his state of preparedness to assume office on January 19 as scheduled
Gambia’s outgoing President Yayah Jammeh will not step down when his mandate which ends on Jan. 18, in spite of his electoral defeat, the Information Ministry said on Thursday, January 12.
The autocrat, who has ruled the small West African nation for 22 years, says he will remain in office until the Supreme Court decides on a petition filed by him.
President Muhammadu Buhari led ECOWAS delegation to the out-going Gambian President, Yayah Jammeh
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According to the statement by the Information ministry, Jammeh is challenging the result of the Dec. 1 presidential election.
President-elect Adama Barrow, a former real estate agent who was little known before he announced his candidacy, has reiterated that he plans to take office on January 19 as scheduled.
Earlier, Gambia’s current dysfunctional Supreme Court adjourned hearing on Jammeh’s petition till January 16 since only one of a required minimum of five judges was present.
Experts however, believe it will be highly unlikely that four additional judges will be present on Monday, January 16.
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This is because the Supreme Court has not been operational since Jammeh fired several of the court’s judges in mid-2016.