Yahya Jammeh conceded
defeat via phone call to Barrow ahead of the election results declaration
Friday Yahya Jammeh, who ruled the The Gambia for 22 years, on Friday called
opposition leader, Adama Barrow on telephone to congratulate him for his “clear
victory”.
The concession of
defeat by Jammeh came before the results of the election was declared by the
country’s electoral commission.
Jammeh, who came to
power in 1994 as a 29-year-old army officer following a military coup, and won
four previous polls, in his acceptance speech said the people have “decided
that I should take the back seat”.
Speaking to the public
on Gambian television late on Friday, Jammeh congratulated Barrow for his
“clear victory”, saying: “I wish him all the best and I wish all Gambians the
best,” Aljazeera reported
He said: “If [Barrow]
wants to work with us also, I have no problem with that. I will help him work
towards the transition,” he said, confirming that he would not contest the
result.
Gambians voted by
placing marbles into drums marked for each candidate.
Many stayed up all
night listening to the radio and tallying results as they were read out
constituency by constituency.
Barrow received 263,515
votes while Jammeh won 212,099, Alieu Momarr Njai, the electoral commission
head, said in the capital Banjul on Friday.
News of Barrow’s
victory prompted thousands to take to the streets of Banjul in celebration –
some on foot while others rode in cars and trucks and on motorbikes – as
confused soldiers looked on.
Watch Jammeh’s telephone call to the president elect, Barrow.
Source: 3news.com
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