Mr. Adama Barrow, winner of December 1, 2016 presidential election has taken the oath of office as Gambia’s new president. He was sworn-in on Thursday, about 5pm Senegalese time at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, Senegal.
A Photograph on his Twitter handle shows him taking the the oath of office.
He succeeds Yahya Jammeh, who lost in the 1 December presidential election and has refused to vacate office when his term expired midnight yesterday.
“This is a victory of the Gambian nation. Our national flag will fly high among those of the most democratic nations of the world. #Gambia,” read a tweet after the ceremony.
Barrow was relocated to Dakar by ECOWAS mediation team led by Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari.
Incumbent President Yahya Jammeh who had earlier conceded defeat in the Dec. 1 presidential election has refused to vacate office in spite of regional and international intervention.
Barrow had earlier said: “My dearest Gambians — the presidency of Yahya Jammeh is officially over. The new era of Gambia is here at last. #NewGambia“, Barrow wrote on his Twitter handle this morning.
The country’s national stadium was initially the choice venue for the swearing in. But Barrow’s spokesman Halifa Sallah said he would be sworn in an undisclosed location.
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz who initiated a last minute effort to break the political deadlock by visiting Jammeh on Wednesday said Jammeh was adamant about hanging on to power..
Mr Abdel Aziz flew in to the Gambian capital Banjul on Wednesday evening to meet Mr Jammeh before flying on to Dakar airport for further discussions with Mr Barrow and Senegal’s President Macky Sall.