Gambia’s opposition leader, Adama Barrow has been declared the winner of the 2016 presidential election after incumbent President Yahya Jammeh conceded defeat.
Barrow led with 263,515 votes, while Jammeh got 212,099 and Mamma Kandeh got 102,969 votes. Gambians flood the streets in celebration. Barrow, who has the support of seven political parties, had won 22 out of 53 constituencies or 138,148 votes in Thursday’s presidential polls.
A report had it that the election was won by a simple majority in the poverty-stricken West African nation, which largely relies on peanut exports for trade income.
Citizens of The Gambians on Thursday voted amid a shutdown of all internet and telephone lines, which raised fears that Jammeh might have plans to hijack the election.
Jammeh, a former army colonel who came to power during a 1994 military coup, has been ruling the Islamic Republic with an iron fist.
A source told The New Diplomat that there is nothing like Press freedom in the whole of The Gambia during the Jammeh’s tenure. “Many journalists have been jailed unduly during his tenure,” the source disclosed.
He is running for a fifth five-year term against two other candidates.
