Posted on: 04:34 Tue, 13 Dec 2016

Four African Presidents are in Banjul to prevail on President Yahya Jammeh to willingly accept Gambia's 2016 Presidential election result and step down.



Following the thoughtless decision of Gambian President Yayha Jammeh to make a U-turn after conceding defeat to ask for cancellation of the Presidential election in which he was defeated by Adama Barrow, a high-level UN/AU/ECOWAS Joint delegation comprising President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, John Mahama of Ghana, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson of Liberia, President of of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma and others have arrived Gambia to persuade Jammeh to step down and accept the result of the election.

According to reports, Jammeh is seeking a power-sharing deal so as to protect his business interests & supporters. However, the people of Gambia have rejected the deal as Barrow called on Jammeh to step down.

The delegation arrived Tuesday afternoon at Banjul. Jammeh has been warned earlier of impending chaos should he insist on not accepting the result of the election by the UN, AU and ECOWAS.

See photos of the delegation below and a press release by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity:







"President Muhammadu Buhari arrived Banjul, The Gambia this morning to meet with the country's President, Yahya Jammeh, who lost the presidential election penultimate week.

The Nigerian leader, who arrived together with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, who is the current Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, and President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra-Leone, were received at the airport by Gambia's Vice-President, Isatou Njie-Saidy.

The out-going President of Ghana, John Mahama, who had earlier arrived Banjul, will join the other West African leaders to meet President Jammeh at the CoCo Ocean Resort and Spa, Banjul.

President Jammeh had earlier conceded defeat in the election, after a 22-year rule, but recanted a week later, asking for fresh polls to be conducted by a "god-fearing and independent electoral commission."

President Buhari and the ECOWAS leaders will discuss the ensuing impasse in The Gambia with President Jammeh, and insist on the sanctity of the electoral process, and respect for the wishes of the people.

They would also ask their host to respect the Constitution of his own country, and maintain the inviolability of an electoral process that had been concluded, and in which he had admitted defeat, and congratulated his main challenger.

The leaders are also scheduled to meet the President-elect, Adama Barrow.

President Buhari is expected back in Abuja later today."