Ever since former President Goodluck Jonathan made that call to President Muhammadu 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 as “the most transparent election in the world”? 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”. Even the Head of Gambia’s electoral commission, Alieu Momarr Njai had said: “It’s very rare that this present situation now, in Africa, that this happens” The question on the lips of everyone is, why would Jammeh suddenly make a volte face after what seemed like a firm resolve to hand over power to the winner of the election, Adama Barrow? The answer to this puzzle may not be far-fetched. Jammeh took his cue of conceding defeat from Nigeria’s Jonathan, he must have also thought he was making a mistake going by the happenings in Nigeria today.

With the relentless vindictive persecution of Goodluck Jonathan’s family by the Buhari administration, the unending vendetta against Jonathan’s former ministers and government officials, the use of the military, secret police and other security agencies to harass, intimidate and even kill innocent, harmless and helpless citizens in droves with little or no provocation, high-handedness in dealing with sections of the country that did not support the emergence of president Buhari, it probably became obvious to Jammeh the enormity of risks he is taking by conceding defeat.

His family members must have reminded him that there is nothing good in conceding defeat in Africa. They must have reminded him of what is going on in Nigeria despite the magnanimity of Goodluck Jonathan. Even his cabinet members might have become apprehensive. They must have become afraid of being witch hunted and persecuted.

Some of them might even be ready to face prosecution should there be any need for that, but then, they realize that what their counterparts in Nigeria are facing is more of persecution than prosecution. They must have all brought Jammeh’s attention to al the atrocities going on in Nigeria. Jammeh gives all these a long and hard thought, and then thinks it is not worth it in the end.

This is only just a part of the many consequences of Buhari’s tyrannical approach to governance in Nigeria. The message of his style reverberates across Africa. The goodwill and novel approach of incumbents conceding defeat in the continent is being endangered rather than being engendered. Consequently, Buhari’s style of leadership is rolling the political progress of Africa kick-started by that famous telephone call from Jonathan and his peaceful handover centuries backward.

Even Nigeria’s electoral system that was beginning to make tremendous progress under Jonathan has suffered unwarranted grievous attacks under Buhari. The nation’s electoral system has been so bastardised within the short period Buhari’s administration has lasted that electoral malpractices have been given an official toga.

Not even the ECOWAS court has been spared the torrid experience of having its court orders disobeyed by the Buhari administration as it concerns its pronouncement on Sambo Dasuki, Nigeria’s former National Security Adviser under Jonathan.

It is therefore even more shocking that the same ECOWAS would rely on such a man to be a mediator in the political logjam about to befall Gambia. Well meaning Nigerians have continued to warn that the autocratic manner Buhari is running Nigeria has very grave implications not only for the country but also for Africa. Gradually, those implications are beginning to unfold right before our very eyes.

The UN that is asking Jammeh to accept defeat and hand over power to Barrow seem to be only interested in treating the symptoms of a disease without looking at the root cause of such a disease.

No one is saying that governments should not prosecute past governments where and when necessary, but everyone would want such prosecution not to degenerate into persecution, intimidation, harassment and vindictive pursuit of family members and officials of any previous government. Diligent and civil prosecution of anyone would always encourage peaceful handover of power from one government to another in Africa. But first, the ECOWAS, AU, UN and other such international bodies must also not look away while any government deals with its people with an iron fist under the guise of fighting corruption and or other such otherwise noble guises.

Until this is ensured, there are likely to be many more Jammehs in Africa than anyone can imagine.


Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/buhari-jonathan-jammeh-gambias-u-turn/

even though I may agree with u @op...22yrs isn't 22days, it's high time he make way for someone else...dem wan copy Jona...GEJ still remain de only authentic Democratic hero in Africa... all others na fake (China product)

Jammeh give chance abeg! 22 years never do you?

I concur

......@op,for some reason i agree with you....Jammeh must have observed how buhari and his cohorts has been harassing Jonathan's family and made a u-turn..


...Buhari should be held responsible for what is happening in Gambia since he has refused to apply common sense in his ways and choose his battles wisely.


..,Mr sherifatu in town ..yeye.

jammeh dey form strong head. if he refuse to take his time. when they start with him. his will be worse than gbagbo own

Ngokafor:




......@op,for some reason i agree with you....Jammeh must have observed how buhari and his cohorts has been harassing Jonathan's family and made a u-turn..


...Buhari should be held responsible for what is happening in Gambia since he has refused to apply common sense in his ways and choose his battles wisely.


..,Mr sherifatu in town ..yeye.

I am aligned with your submission, I have posted severally today extracts of this articles.

I blame Buhary for the refusal of Jammeh to hand-over power.

Nice article

Even two years after Gej electoral loss, some people are still bitter to the extent that their common sense has been eroded because of hatred.

It is well with you people. Please remember to also blame Buhari if you can't have an erection.

What an absurd reasoning! The despot has been in power for 22 years, dissenting voices were locked up while some went on exile, he now fears his past will catch up with him then someone who has no say in Gambian politics now blames Buhari.

Buhari should also be blamed for Mugabe, Museveni, Kigame etc hold on to power!

If nothing is done, the dogs and baboons of Gambia would soon be soaked in blood!

Only those that have anti zombism will understand and believe what the op wrote .

Until this is ensured, there are likely to be many more Jammehs in Africa than anyone can imagine.

Useless article.
Until African presidents learn to conceded defeat in free and fair elections, there will be many more Gbagbos in Africa.

So you are saying that Africans presidents should remain in power until they die, and probably hand over to their sons because of fear of persecution if he hands over power to another person.

Jemmeh better leave power by January or he will become another Gbagbo.

I wonder what people won't blame on buhari, ur TV isn't working....BUhari
Ur girl friend is cheating... Buhari
No network on ur phones... Buhari
Ur landlord hates you... Buhari

SORRY

wirinet:

Useless article.
Until African presidents learn to conceded defeat in free and fair elections, there will be many more Gbagbos in Africa.

So you are saying that Africans presidents should remain in power until they die, and probably hand over to their sons because of fear of persecution if he hands over power to another person.

Jemmeh better leave power by January or he will become another Gbagbo.

On point

Na oshogbo weed wey hin smoke make him concede defeat

Now hin eye don clear

Anyways

Na observe we go observe

brilliant article.
frontpage material.
buari recession dullard is d worst example of a leader. who on dis earth will want to emulate d dullard's democrazy-military rule only kim jung-ill of north korea.

african leaders and power be like okra and ogbono.... He should step down, gambia is not his father's property, gambia belongs to gambians... His ship has sailed....

Kakamorufu:
jammeh dey form strong head. if he refuse to take his time. when they start with him. his will be worse than gbagbo own

He is a general, general are not afraid to die....what is bothering me now is d masses that will suffer

The relationship between Buhari's behavior and Jammeh's is not really strong. The correlation is weak.



Buhari that cannot obey ecowas court ruling is strutting about in Gambia under the auspices of ecowas, forming lover of democracy.

I hope he'll respect himself and concede in 2019 when we drive him out.

Carmal90:


He is a general, general are not afraid to die....what is bothering me now is d masses that will suffer

it is well

Firefire:


I am aligned with your submission, I have posted severally today extracts of this articles.

I blame Buhary for the refusal of Jammeh to hand-over power.

Can you imagine, bitterness and hatred is the cause of your own sickness. Get well soon.

Bros, you have a point. In Ghana now, Ministers and some government officials of the outgoing government are already leaving the country because of fear of same treatment like their counterparts in Nigeria. Even some party faithful of the outgoing are been attacked presently. Buhari is setting a bad example

If Jammeh decides to remain in power I dnt think he can or will be easily removed.
Those making references to Lauren Gbagbo should also remember that Assad is still president of Syria!
This article has very valid points that only those that are politically myopic and hypocritical will fail to see them.

The fool has no business there. the whole economy is empty no money in the ATM machines again People are hungry .and he's going to solve another countries problem. Buhari's supporters are you not fools

What is Failhari doing in Gambia

homosapien:
Even two years after Gej electoral loss, some people are still bitter to the extent that their common sense has been eroded because of hatred.

It is well with you people. Please remember to also blame Buhari if you can't have an erection.

Just the way Buhari has refused to take the bull by the horns,at every opportunity he whines about how he met an empty treasury, how the last administration squandered our Commonwealth even after almost 2 years of assuming office.

Your principal forgets that Nigerians knew things were bad and that was y they voted him,so tell him to stop the whinings,complains and shifting of responsibilities and start cleaning up the Aegean stable. It's either he ships in or he shapes out......A stitch in time saves nine.

Jammeh is a man of peace but he don't want humiliation from his people. So he wants some kind of agreement.

OP is Buhari also responsible for the pimple on your testicle?

Yeah Right ! Buhari haters would blame him for a freezing polar vortex in northern Canada
Looks like you forgot the frenzy Gambian opposition officials who told the president-elect NOT to meet with Jammeh. They also said Jammeh will face prosecution and he should not leave the country fearing he would start a rebellion with " the treasure he got from hiding millions of dollars Gaddafi and Mobutu gave him ". Where did those folks get all that ?
Other questions: why this drastic change in the tally ? What were they hiding at the electoral commission ? They also want The Gambia to a member of ICC ( International Criminal Court ) again after Jammeh withdrew from that racist court that does nothing but prosecute African leaders.
Why is the president-elect's team so impatient , why are they refusing to wait for the date set for the new president to take office? why are they saying he should leave ASAP (In the USA elections were held November 8th 2016. The inauguration of the new president is almost two months and two weeks later on January 20th 2017). All those factors make president Jammeh remember he was and he still is a soldier. He has to defend himself.

The night shift security guard turned president -elect of the Gambia messed up, he lacked insight, he lacked wisdom and political skills that is why things are going into a wrong direction.

I disagree to align myself with the writer, a man who has spent 22 years in office and committed atrocities, yes he must be made to account for his actions over the years, Africans are where we are today because we lack accountability and we believe as a former leader we must not be questioned, I say a big NO to that.
buhari must be behind gbagbo not wanting to leave office back then right total nonsense.

wxyz1:
Ever since former President Goodluck Jonathan made that call to President Muhammadu 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 as “the most transparent election in the world”? 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”. Even the Head of Gambia’s electoral commission, Alieu Momarr Njai had said: “It’s very rare that this present situation now, in Africa, that this happens” The question on the lips of everyone is, why would Jammeh suddenly make a volte face after what seemed like a firm resolve to hand over power to the winner of the election, Adama Barrow? The answer to this puzzle may not be far-fetched. Jammeh took his cue of conceding defeat from Nigeria’s Jonathan, he must have also thought he was making a mistake going by the happenings in Nigeria today.
With the relentless vindictive persecution of Goodluck Jonathan’s family by the Buhari administration, the unending vendetta against Jonathan’s former ministers and government officials, the use of the military, secret police and other security agencies to harass, intimidate and even kill innocent, harmless and helpless citizens in droves with little or no provocation, high-handedness in dealing with sections of the country that did not support the emergence of president Buhari, it probably became obvious to Jammeh the enormity of risks he is taking by conceding defeat.
His family members must have reminded him that there is nothing good in conceding defeat in Africa. They must have reminded him of what is going on in Nigeria despite the magnanimity of Goodluck Jonathan. Even his cabinet members might have become apprehensive. They must have become afraid of being witch hunted and persecuted.
Some of them might even be ready to face prosecution should there be any need for that, but then, they realize that what their counterparts in Nigeria are facing is more of persecution than prosecution. They must have all brought Jammeh’s attention to al the atrocities going on in Nigeria. Jammeh gives all these a long and hard thought, and then thinks it is not worth it in the end.
This is only just a part of the many consequences of Buhari’s tyrannical approach to governance in Nigeria. The message of his style reverberates across Africa. The goodwill and novel approach of incumbents conceding defeat in the continent is being endangered rather than being engendered. Consequently, Buhari’s style of leadership is rolling the political progress of Africa kick-started by that famous telephone call from Jonathan and his peaceful handover centuries backward.
Even Nigeria’s electoral system that was beginning to make tremendous progress under Jonathan has suffered unwarranted grievous attacks under Buhari. The nation’s electoral system has been so bastardised within the short period Buhari’s administration has lasted that electoral malpractices have been given an official toga.
Not even the ECOWAS court has been spared the torrid experience of having its court orders disobeyed by the Buhari administration as it concerns its pronouncement on Sambo Dasuki, Nigeria’s former National Security Adviser under Jonathan.
It is therefore even more shocking that the same ECOWAS would rely on such a man to be a mediator in the political logjam about to befall Gambia. Well meaning Nigerians have continued to warn that the autocratic manner Buhari is running Nigeria has very grave implications not only for the country but also for Africa. Gradually, those implications are beginning to unfold right before our very eyes.
The UN that is asking Jammeh to accept defeat and hand over power to Barrow seem to be only interested in treating the symptoms of a disease without looking at the root cause of such a disease.
No one is saying that governments should not prosecute past governments where and when necessary, but everyone would want such prosecution not to degenerate into persecution, intimidation, harassment and vindictive pursuit of family members and officials of any previous government. Diligent and civil prosecution of anyone would always encourage peaceful handover of power from one government to another in Africa. But first, the ECOWAS, AU, UN and other such international bodies must also not look away while any government deals with its people with an iron fist under the guise of fighting corruption and or other such otherwise noble guises.
Until this is ensured, there are likely to be many more Jammehs in Africa than anyone can imagine.
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/buhari-jonathan-jammeh-gambias-u-turn/

The author of this artucle has done nothing but defend corruption and corrupt practices. Since when has corrupt practices become virtues that should be condoned and even celebrated?.... Now even those who are opposed to corrupt acts are being vilified and long articles like this one are written to heap blames on the head of people who speak and move against corruption.

What message exaclty is the author trying to pass on to the world with this long article?... Why are are some Igbos just hell bent on ridiculing the Igbo nation by continuously supporting and justifying corrupt practices?