Gambia: Buhari to lead ECOWAS delegation for another meeting with Jammeh

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President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria will on Wednesday lead two other West African presidents and other citizens to meet with Gambia’s President, Yahaya Jammeh.

The proposed meeting will hold less than a month after a similar meeting.

Mr. Buhari in his capacity as mediator in chief will travel with his counterparts, Ellen Sirleaf of Liberia and Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra-Leone, as well as the immediate past President of Ghana, John Mahama, to the Gambia to meet with Mr. Jammeh.

Mr. Jammeh lost the December, 2016 Gambia presidential election to opposition candidate Adama Barrow.

He initially accepted defeat and congratulated Mr. Barrow but changed his mind and decided to challenge the outcome of the election.

He also vowed not to handover to the winner as expected on January 19.

A meeting of the West African regional body, ECOWAS, in Abuja in December appointed Messrs. Buhari and Mahama as negotiators.

The ECOWAS leaders met again on the sidelines of Saturday’s inauguration of Ghana’s newly elected president, Nana Akufor-Addo, and agreed to meet in Abuja on Monday on the invitation of President Buhari.

The outcome of the Monday meeting is what will take the presidents to Gambia on Wednesday.

Briefing reporters at the end of the meeting, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Geofrey Onyeama, said the meeting agreed on the “determination to resolve The Gambian political crisis in a manner that every step of the way conforms to the constitution of The Gambia and respect the will of the people of The Gambia.”

He said the leaders expressed particular concern at the “deteriorating situation that has been reported in respect of security in The Gambia in particular, the closure of some of the radio stations and media houses, arrests that have been taking place and also the refugee situation that is being created with the mass exodus of a large number of people to the interior and to neighbouring countries”.

Mr. Onyeama said apart from the presidents, other members of the delegation to the Gambia include the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the Special Representatives of United Nations, and also a Representative of the African Union.

“So, this meeting will take place in two days time on Wednesday to discuss with President Jammeh the need and the imperative to respect the constitution”.

The president of Senegal, Macky Sall, also attended Monday’s meeting which held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.

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  • Gerald Okoduwa

    ECOWAS should not waste their energy begging Jameh. His types only understand the language of force.

    • Maverick

      Buhari has no moral right to intervene because he has never accepted any election he lost as credible and has never congratulated an opposition winner of any election since he assumed office.
      Don’t be surprised he is going there to encourage Jammeh while on the other hand oppose military intervention

      • Gerald Okoduwa

        Take your hate off my TL. It’s for discerning minds only. This is without prejudice to your right to make direct comments on articles in the web.

  • tunde008

    He should be invited for a meeting in Abuja, and then taken to Calabar,the way Charles Taylor was dealt with.

    • Julius

      lol, by the one and only..OBJ !!. You got it bro.

  • Otile

    This does not call for invading and killing innocent people in The Gambia. Warmongers should give peace a chance.

  • Maverick

    Buhari has no moral right to intervene because he has never accepted any election he lost as credible and has never congratulated an opposition winner of any election since he assumed office.
    Don’t be surprised he is going there to encourage Jammeh while on the other hand oppose military intervention.

    • Julius

      Didnt those that “defeated’ him thru the election sworn in as Presidents ?

  • Nsikan John

    Which moral right does this man PMB has to be the Chief mediator. All the things Jammeh is accused of is what PMB is doing in Nigeria.. He hasn’t removed the block in his eyes but is attempting to remove paper in someone’s eyes. What an irony