WAHALA.....Nigeria 'Deploys Warship' to The Gambia as Gambian President Declares 90-day State of Emergency 48hrs to His Handover

 

Presidents Yahya Jammeh and Muhammadu Buhari

hehehehehe.......President Buhari seems prepared to settle the political impasse in The Gambia using force following the controversial stand of President Yahya Jammeh. 

Nigeria’s newest warship, the NNS Unity, is sailing towards The Gambia ahead of possible military intervention over President Yahya Jammeh's refusal to accept election defeat and step down when his term expires on Thursday. 

A Nigerian military source tells the BBC that the patrol vessel is currently sailing off the coast of Ghana after leaving from the commercial caital, Lagos. 

The initial aim is to put on a show of force rather than to launch an attack. Senegal is preparing ground troops ahead of Thursday’s deadline. 

The Gambia’s tiny army is no match for the regional powers. In recent years, President Jammeh has been promoting his loyalists, including army chief Ousman Badjie,  to ranks beyond their competence. 

This has further downgraded its military capabilities. The regional body, Ecowas, has sad that military intervention will be a last resort to bring an end to the political deadlock in The Gambia.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has been leading mediation efforts to persuade Mr Jammeh to hand power to former estate agent Adama Barrow, who won the 1 December election. 

In just 48 hours to his expected handover, the outgoing Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh, has declared a 90-day state of emergency.

Yahya Jammeh seized power in the tiny West African country in 1994

Outgoing Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has declared a 90-day state of emergency a day before his official mandate ends, state TV reports.

Regional leaders have been unsuccessfully trying to persuade him to hand over power to Adama Barrow, who won December's elections.

The move comes after Nigeria deployed a warship to further pressure Mr. Jammeh.

Regional bloc, ECOWAS has prepared a force but maintains that military intervention would be a last resort.

The exact terms of the state of emergency remain unknown, as no details were provided with the announcement.

The president is meant to be inaugurated as the new president on Thursday.

He initially accepted the election results but then decided he wanted them annulled after the electoral commission admitted some errors, although it insists this did not affect the final outcome.

The Supreme Court is unable to hear the challenge until May because of a shortage of judges, and Mr Jammeh has said he will not step down until then.

At least three Gambian ministers, including the foreign minister, have resigned in recent days. Thousands of Gambians have also fled to neighbouring Senegal amid fears of violence.

Source: BBC Africa