Why President Buhari flew out of Banjul with Barrow on Friday, en route to Mali,

President Buhari arrives Bamako Mali to
attend 27th Africa-France Summit on 13th Jan 2017

(AFP)   President Muhammadu Buhari and other West African leaders, may have tactically taken Gambia’s president-elect, Adama Barrow into safety after a botched attempt to persuade President Yahya Jammeh to voluntarily cede power after he lost the 1 December election. Jammeh’s tenure ends 19 January. And both ECOWAS and the AU have said he would cease to be the leader of West Africa’s smallest country by 20 January.

President Buhari flew out of Banjul with Barrow on Friday, en route to Mali, for what was called crisis talks in hopes of ending the nation’s political impasse.

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.