(JollofNews) – Gambia’s exiled ex-president, Yahya Jammeh has vowed to return to the country he ruled for 22 years before losing last month’s election to opposition coalition rival, Adama Barrow.
A security officer of Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) who was at the foot of the aircraft that flew Jammeh into exile late on Saturday evening claimed he clearly heard the former leader consoling his tearfully distraught supporters and expressing his intention to come back to the country.
There were emotional scenes at the Banjul International Airport as Jammeh paused on the steps of the aircraft to acknowledge his wailing supporters before entering the plane, with his family bound for Equatorial Guinea via Guinea.
”I’ll be back, I’ll be back” the source quoted Jammeh as saying casually.
The African Union have released a resolution guaranteeing Jammeh’s future return to the country at a time and manner of his choosing.
The former leader finally succumbed to diplomatic and military pressure by regional leaders to peacefully vacate the presidency for his successor, Barrow who will return to the country after a week in Senegal where he took th oath of office.
Jammeh who accepted defeat on 2nd December made a dramatic U-turn a week later to reject the election results, alleging widespread irregularities; provoking widespread national and international condemnations.
His party later filed petitions to the country’s Supreme Court challenging the results while calling for a fresh election to be organized by ”honest and God-fearing Gambians”.
Following concerted diplomacy by the Guinean and Mauritanian leaders during an extended deadline on Friday Jammeh finally went on state television to announce he was leaving the presidency.