By Jude Ndukwe
Ever since former president Jonathan made that call to president
Buhari congratulating him on his “victory” at the last presidential polls, and
following the enormous goodwill that has attracted to him worldwide, it is fast
becoming a norm in Africa for incumbents to
easily accept defeat at the polls and congratulate the winner.
Yahya
Jammeh, the outgoing president of Gambia, was on his way to making history as
one of the very few African presidents who would follow the enviable example of
Nigeria’s former president and Africa’s hero of democracy, Goodluck Jonathan,
by conceding defeat as an incumbent to an opponent in a political contest.
However,
with his sudden u-turn on that stand, Jammeh, it seems, is about to throw that
tiny West African country into a needless and avoidable turmoil.
After
having been commended by major political players and the media worldwide, what
could have caused Yahya Jammeh to retrace his steps just less than a week after
conceding defeat and hailed the process that saw his closest rival, Adama
Barrow, an otherwise political neophyte, emerge as the president-elect of Gambia
Jammeh
had told Barrow while conceding defeat to him, “I’m the outgoing president; you
are the incoming president”.
Also,
in a telephone call to the president-elect, Jammeh was reported to have told
Barrow, “I wish you all the best. The country will be in your hands in January.
You are assured of my guidance. You have to work with me. You are the elected
president of The Gambia. I have no ill will and I wish you all the best”.
He
repeated the same thing in a televised statement when he said, “I take this
opportunity to congratulate Mr Adama for his victory. It’s a clear victory. I
wish him all the best and I wish all Gambians the best. As a true Muslim who
believes in the almighty Allah I will never question Allah’s decision. You
Gambians have decided”.
