Gambia’s President-elect, Adama Barrow says "I’m alive and well"

* Shakes off assassination rumour

* Gambia Army chief declares support of armed forces for Jammeh

Gambia’s president-elect, Adama Barrow

Contrary to media reports, Gambia’s president-elect, Adama Barrow is hale and hearty. CBN Television, Banjul had ‎earlier reported that he was murdered by that unknown assailants who overpowered his security guards, leaving two dead and six others injured from gunshots.



Reacting to the report, popular Gambian journalist Fatu Camara wrote: “BREAKING: We are getting reports that due to threats on the lives of coalition members, many of them are currently evacuated to safe houses..
Meanwhile, contrary to fake news going around that President Elect Barrow and two security guards were assassinated, we can confirm to you that Barrow is fine as we speak. Stay tuned!,” she posted on Facebook
However, a tweet from his official handle, @adama_barrow, ‎said he’s alive and well. “We would like to inform you that the President-elect is alive and well. #Gambia‎”, it read. His rumoured death is coming few days after he referred to the country’s constitution that a court action taken by supposed outgoing President Yahya Jammeh cannot prevent the winner of the poll from assuming office as mandated by the constitution.
“It should be crystal clear that filing an election petition is the private matter of a loser in an election. It does not prevent mandatory constitutional processes from taking place.

“ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations could only intervene if the two presidents fail to do, with impeccable thoroughness, what the constitution of the republic demands,” Barrow, who vowed to take office on January 19 despite the refusal of Jammeh to give up power, had stated.

However, in the face of military action threatened against President Jammeh by the ECOWAS leaders, Gambia's army chief Ousman Badjie has declared support for the leader

Badjie affirmed his loyalty and the support of the Gambia Armed Forces for Jammeh in a letter to pro-government Daily Observer newspaper


This is in contrary to his eliaerposition the the Gambian Army will not defend Jammeh incase of any external attack and agression aginst him.

But following threat of military action against the country by President Muhammadu Buhari and other ECOWAS leaders, Gambia's army chief Ousman Badjie has declared his loyalty to President Yahya Jammeh.

BBC reports that, in a letter he sent to the pro-government Daily Observer newspaper, Badjie affirmed his loyalty and the support of the Gambia Armed Forces for Jammeh.

Jammeh has maintained that he will not step down when his term ends on January 19.

He wrote:"May I please seize this opportunity to renew to your Excellency the assurance of the unflinching loyalty and support of the Gambia Armed Forces."

In the event that Mr Jammeh does not hand over power to President-elect Adama Barrow on January 19, ECOWAS says its troops in neighbouring Senegal are ready to intervene in Gambia's political situation.

Recall that the Gambian president had initially accepted defeat in the December 1, 2016 election but later backtracked.

The president had also warned that any attempt to intervene in the political situation of his country will be an ‘act of war.’

BBC also reports that the country has not enjoyed a swift transition since its independence from Britain in 1965.
There are serious indications that Gambia might be headed for war following rifts over election results

The head of Gambia electoral commission has already fled to Senegal alleging threat to his life.


Yahya Jammeh has served as Gambia's president for 22 years.