It’s time to call Jammeh to order

For those who may still be considering the concession of defeat of the former President Goodluck Jonathan as less patriotic, this is a time to have a rethink, most especially when a monster in human flesh is emerging in one of the smallest countries of the world, The Gambia.

Having initially telephoned the winner of the presidential election to accept defeat, the intent of the dictator, Yahya Jammeh, who has spent two decades ruling the nation to retract his words, remains relatively unknown. He declared that he would not relinquish power as promised earlier. It is obvious that the violator of fundamental human rights will rather stick to power. Then, will he expect the electorate who gave their collective mandates to the winner, Adama Barrow, to fold their arms while their electoral power is being stolen?

They will, as a matter of fact, take to the streets to show their rage and displeasure, and Jammeh, who recently declared the country of 1.8m people an Islamic state and threatened to deal with any trouble maker, will use force and the military to silence the innocent and hapless people. And this clash of military personnel and the people will lead to deaths and destruction of properties.

Surely, that would not be the first of its kind on the soil of Africa. African leaders, like their counterparts in other continents, prefer to hold on to power, to the detriment of the populace. Meanwhile, the inglorious 1994 genocide in Rwanda, the tribal war in the youngest country, South Sudan; and the war in Somalia, DR Congo should ordinarily have been a deterrent.

The Gambian dictator must be checked before he starts preying on the poverty-stricken Gambians. The effects of the leadership tussle between the South Sudanese President, Silva Kiir and his exiled deputy, Machar, are not only being felt by the people, but also their neighbours such as Uganda. Hence, another African beast must be stopped.

The condemnation and criticism by the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU) and individual African leaders such as Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Johnson Sirleaf are commendable. The intervention of these leaders plainly shows that Africa embraces democracy. But these are not enough because the autocratic ruler has the loyalty of the Chief of Army Staff of the country, and military personnel have taken over the office of the electoral commission, seizing the original results of the election.

It may portend a great danger if actions (economic, political, and military) are delayed till the time Jammeh is expected to leave power. Whatever must be done should be done now. And the idea of power sharing tabled by the loser as the condition to allow Mr Barrow to enjoy the mandate given to him should be totally and vehemently rejected and should not be entertained at all for such is unhealthy and tantamount to the interest and decision of the Gambians.

If unchecked on time, Jammeh can chase the people out of their homes after he will have killed, maimed and detained thousands. The neighbouring African countries such as Senegal will be flooded, raising the immigration crisis. Apart from that, militants and insurgents may rise, creating another Somalia in The Gambia.

• Timothy Faboade

faboadetimothy@gmail.com