January 17, 2017
The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) has in an open letter urged the defeated Gambia president, Sheik Professor Alhagi Yahya AJJ Jammeh Babili Mansa to step aside and allow the inauguration of Adama Barrow to proceed on January 19, 2017.
Jammeh, 51, who seized power in 1994 at age 29, had ruled the small West African state for 22 years.
He conceded defeat in the December 1 election, but latter took a U-turn.
The embattled president has however filed a petition in the Gambian Supreme Court, demanding a cancellation of election result and conduct fresh elections.
His attempt to overturn the election result has been delayed because of shortage of judges but his lawyers have asked for an injunction to block Barrow’s inauguration.
The Supreme Court is slated to hear the petition in May.
WANEP noted that the whole world and Civil Societies applauded the ‘graciousness’ and ‘statesmanship’ Jammeh made in the concession statement after the declaration of the December 1 result.
The consortium said the Gambians love Jammeh that was why they have consistently voted for him and maintained the status quo in several elections and that his sudden refusal to accept the peoples verdict will create a political crises and or possible anarchy in Gambia.
The group,which has about 550 membership, stated that it was time for Jammeh to show that the voices, reasons and choices of Gambians matter.
“Your peers, ECOWAS, African Union, United Nations, Bilateral and Multilateral Partners, Civil Society Organisations, Religious and traditional accord in their opinion of the outcome of the election and in their plead to Your Excellency to accept the verdict of the people.” the letter stated.
Earlier this week, West Afrian leaders requested the president-elect, Adama Barrow to remain in Senegal until his planned inauguration on Thursday.
Jammeh’s refusal to step down will apparently cause a bloodbath as Regional bloc ECOWAS wants UN to approve military action should Barrow’s inauguration blocked.