Gambia’s ruling party filed a petition to challenge the result of the presidential election which saw Yahya Jammeh lose power after 22 years rule.
The result of the December 1 polls should be annulled, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), said in a document handed to the registrar of the Supreme Court in the capital, Banjul.
The petition was filed after an ECOWAS delegation met with Jammeh, hoping to persuade him to hand over power to President-elect Adama Barrow.
The delegation included Presidents Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, John Mahama of Ghana and Ernest Koroma of Sierra Leone.
Apart from ECOWAS, the UN, AU and the U.S. have all called on Mr. Jammeh to respect the wish of Gambians and relinquish power.
Earlier on Tuesday, security forces blocked the entrance to the electoral commission in Banjul, while the Chief of Defence Staff vowed to remain loyal to Mr. Jammeh, indicating that the country’s military would help him stay in power.
Mr. Jammeh last week announced his intention to challenge the election results, even though he had earlier conceded defeat to Mr. Barrow.
The 51-year-old, who has ruled the West African country for 22 years, deployed heavily armed military and police to the streets of the capital.
(dpa/NAN)
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