Nigeria on standby to evacuate citizens from Gambia

Abike Dabiri-Erewa

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, senior special assistant to the president on foreign affairs and diaspora, says the federal government is “on standby” to evacuate Nigerians in Gambia if the need arises.

Crisis is brewing in Gambia over the refusal of President Yahaya Jammeh to step down after losing the election, with supporters of Adama Barrow, the winner, vowing to swear him in on January 19 when Jammeh’s tenure will elapse.

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) over the situation in Gambia.

THE GAMBIA: PRESIDENT BUHARI HOSTS WEST AFRICAN LEADERS IN ABUJA ON MONDAY

In furtherance of his mandate as mediator, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari will be hosting four other West African leaders to a meeting aimed at avoiding violence and preserving democracy in The Gambia.

President Buhari, and the immediate past President of Ghana, John Mahama as Mediator and Co-Mediator respectively, have also been mandated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to ensure the safety of the President-elect, Adama Barrow and ensure a peaceful handover of power on January 19.

The meeting in Abuja is following the one in Accra on the sidelines of the inauguration of that country's President which expressed the readiness of the leaders of the sub-region to continue the pursuit of dialogue with the leaders of The Gambia.