President Yahaya Jameh have been in power since the 22nd of July 1994 through a military coup, he was later to be elected as Democratic President of Gambia in 1996. He was re-elected in the year 2001, 2006, and 2011 respectively. His last bid for the office this December was an exercise in futility as his opponent Adama Barrow defeated him in a resounding victory.on the other hand President John Mahama can be referred to as a child of circumstance, His case can be likened to that of Former President Goodluck Jonathan. He too never wanted to be President of Ghana his aim was to serve his boss as the Vice President of Ghana but fate played a fast one on him as his boss late President John Atta Mills succumbed to the cold hands of Death after a prolonged battle with a terminal Disease. Immediately this unfortunate event happened then Vice President Dramani Mahama was sworn in as the President of Ghana and was elected as the President of Ghana after his Victory in the Presidential election held few years after but his second term bid was not that successful as he lost to Ghana’s main opposition Leader Nana Akufo Addo of the New Patriotic Party. Now we have two incumbent Presidents losing their re-election bid. John Mahama and Yahaya Jameh all within a spate of two weeks.
This is the first time Yahaya Jameh is losing an election since 1994.Though some of his past winnings have been marred by one controversy or the other. On the 2nd of December when collation was still ongoing President Jameh conceded defeat in an unexpected manner of an individual that many have seen as a life-long President like Brother Robert Mugabe but the Mugabe spirit in Jameh died the moment he conceded . In the phone exchange transcript between President Jameh and Adama Barrow (The President-Elect) he said the following and I quote “Hello Your Excellency President Elect Mr. Barrow am fine, I am calling you to wish you all the best. The Gambian People have spoken and I have no reason to contest the will of the Mighty Allah you are the elected President of the Gambia and I wish you all the best. I have no ill will and I wish you all the best” what a nice word from President Jameh! The whole word was caught unaware as there have been apprehension about what the man will do as news have been filtering everywhere earlier in the day that he is poised to lose the election but that singular action of him conceding changed People’s view about Yahaya Jameh. immediately after that conceding, torrents of wishes and applause was given to Jameh on social media and from world Powers including USA , UK, FRANCE ,GERMANY just as Jameh did President John Mahama never waited for the Electoral commission to declare him looser before calling and conceding defeat to Nana Akufo Addo.
His decision was not a surprise as anyone following John Dramani Mahama will know he is not a power monger unlike his other brother Yahaya Jameh, Mahama have pre-occupied himself with the business of promoting the unity, existence and oneness of the Gold coast country which he also re-emphasized in his concession speech he said “Notwithstanding our diversity, religious faiths, ethnic Groups and Political affiliation. We have also recognized that we are all on the same side which is the side of Ghana and its progress” with that speech he joined his brother President Jameh on that high pedestal of African Statesmanship but something strange happened in the sense that it wasn’t expected or foresee by anyone. On the 9th of December 8days after President Jameh have conceded defeat in the election the Mugabe Spirit in him manifested and he rejected the result citing unacceptable abnormalities. Immediately the news was out I thought it was a joke or a form of prank but it soon became clear that the man of the moment have fallen from the High Pedestal of African Statesmanship he once attained few days earlier. Many people were disappointed but I was not.
Any close watcher of Yahaya Jameh will know his love for Power knows no bound from his flamboyant lifestyles and multiple Proclamation of laws all aimed towards making himself the most powerful man of Gambia. I was watching a Video recently on YouTube where he abused an interviewer during a Programme; he accused the man of looking at his mouth. That one had to apologise immediately to avoid facing the wrath of Mr. President. That’s who Jameh is.He has been around for 22years and I think God have been favourable enough to him enough. in his 51 years in the land of the living he has been a President for 22years but Jameh won’t have any of that he has filed a Petition with the Supreme court of Gambia to contest the result. The United Nation through its African Representative Mohammed Ibn Chambas has met with him ditto the ECOWAS but there is no end in sight as Jameh have refused to let go of his decision of not accepting defeat.
The Failure of the ECOWAS Team led by President Johnson Sir leaf which included President Mahama himself and President Muhammadu Buhari among others was evident as Jameh said he cannot be intimidated by the ECOWAS team because he is not a coward, the Last time I checked no one called him a coward, all they are asking for is the respect of the will and right of Gambians to chose who leads them. Consequently the African Union have directed all President of the Union to attend the inauguration of Adama Barrow in January 2017, How that will happen is what we are waiting for as Jameh is not ready to go. There are more than enough means of unseating him forcefully which may include a military Intervention but I will advise Brother Jameh to learn from Brother Mahama that have turned himself to a Peace Ambassador and face of Democracy In Africa .as Yahaya Jameh said in his concession Speech the People of Gambia have Spoken, he have no reason to contest the will of Almighty Allah! He shouldn’t contest their will.
Adesina Tosin Nathaniel is a Forward Looking Nigerian Youth, He Writes from Ikorodu Lagos
For more of his writings visit http://www.donteewrites.wordpress.com
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