President Muhammadu Buhari who arrived Banjul, The Gambia, early Tuesday to meet with the country’s President, Yahya Jammeh, who lost the presidential election penultimate week in that country was due back in Abuja last night after the talks.
A statement by Presidential Spokesman Femi Adesina said Buhari 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. They 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, joined 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.
