Gambia Elections 2016: Security Forces Take Over Electoral Commission HQ

The Gambia’s electoral commission headquarters have been taken over by security force as incumbent President Yahya Jammeh refuses to accept his loss in recent elections.

Yahya Jammeh initially conceded defeat to Adama Barrow in a recent poll and then changed his mind.

Visiting West African leaders have met Yahya Jammeh to try to persuade him to step down after 22 years in power.

The leaders of Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone are all in The Gambia for talks with Yahya Jammeh.

A senior official of regional bloc Ecowas, Marcel de Souza, would not rule out sending in troops.

Yahya Jammeh’s ruling APRC party filed a petition on December 13 with the Supreme Court, asking it to annul the election results.

The incumbent president had questioned the validity of the count after the electoral commission changed some results, even though it insists the outcome was not affected.

The commission said Adama Barrow obtained 222,708 votes (43.3%) compared with Yahya Jammeh’s 208,487 (39.6%). A third candidate, Mama Kandeh, won 89,768 votes (17.1%).

Gambia’s army chief Ousman Badjie has seemingly reversed a pledge of support for Adama Barrow, the AFP agency reported, arriving at talks wearing a badge featuring Yahya Jammeh’s face on his uniform.