They have been in power for 22 years leading and dictating the affairs of a nation and its people. They presided over a system that promotes isolationism, despotism, corruption, religious bigotry, gross human rights violations and worst economic times for the tiny West African nation of the Gambia. They have no clue what constitutes a nation state, who power belongs to and how modern societies work. They see things only their way without regard to what the rest of the society thinks or the right to exist peacefully as tax payers and citizens. Their two decades reign has been marked with the most embarrassing pronouncements, heinous crimes and human rights violations any society has ever witnessed.
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh; Vice President Isatou Njie-Saidy, Majority leader, Fabakary Tombong Jatta CDS Ousman Badjie surrounded by some of the most out of touch citizens Gambia has ever produced are unfortunately rare breeds in society. Their mental framework on their responsibilities as privileged leaders of a modern nation is fundamentally flawed and they have no place leading a nation in a modern progressive society. Ignorance, political banditry, cronyism and outright selfish attitude have no place in modern political leadership. Yahya Jammeh unconstitutionally forced himself into power in 1994 without the mandate of the people. He realized to continue to claim legitimacy in the world to represent the Gambian nation he would have to seek the mandate of the people for the International community to accept him and his government.
He created a political system that gave him every advantage to continue to win elections in an uneven political level playing field. Gambians gave him the benefits of the doubt and let him do whatever he wanted without any credible form of resistance within the Gambia. This emboldened Jammeh and he believed that he has a license to hire, fire, arrest, jail, kidnap and or kill any citizen who disagrees with him and his political cronyism without regards to due process. He developed a sense of entitlement for him and his family to rule over the Gambia so long as he remains alive. He even said that the Gambian nation belongs to him translated locally as “Dekabeh Maako Mum” His greatest advantage was that he found willing and able citizens in the name of VP Njie-Saidy to sing praises to him and help him perpetuate himself in power for as long as they could with or without the consent of Gambians. Gambia recorded the worst human rights and political oppression in Africa which the whole world came to know.
The same electioneering system that Jammeh used for two decades to win elections is the same system he is now trashing today as “the most corrupt system” he has ever seen. He tried to use the same unconstitutional means that brought him to power in 1994 to annul the December elections which he initially conceded in a gracious call to the President-elect Barrow. Jammeh’s 360′ turn within a week of acknowledging the elections as “freely and fairly contested” shows his true despotism, selfishness and out of touch with modern political history. The world has now come to terms with the level of impunity and sycophancy Jammeh, Njie-Saidy and APRC cronies are infested with. In a modern society where elections are conducted to allow a peaceful transfer of power or the people’s voice to be heard, who in their right mind will lose elections so explicitly and refused to step down? The Gambian people, ECOWAS and the world must see this as Yahya Jammeh and the APRC’S to further destabilize the West African and endanger lives of citizens. VP Isatou Njie-Saidy, the Majority leader Fabakary Tombong Jatta, CDS Badjie, the Attorney General Fatima Sighateh, the Director of NIA and many top government officials must be brought to justice should a single Gambian life be lost in an ECOWAS intervention force.
What Jammeh and his cronies are trying to do after 22 years of ruling the nation is to either have it their way or force the country into a bloodbath. A simple common sense question one can easily ask Jammeh and his APRC folks is what do you think will happen if other leaders in the world who also contested elections refused to step down? What do you think will happen in the United States if Hillary and the Democrats refused to accept the elections and takes to the street to demand a revote? What if Obama or John Mahama of Ghana were to reject their elections and refused to step down? Where do you think you can find a peaceful nation for you and Isatou Njie-Saidy to send your children for education and economic security? How do you justify your hold on to power after 22 years of using the same system to win elections?
The answers should come from the Gambian people; shouldn’t the Gambian people regard you as unpatriotic, selfish and outright the worst citizens Gambians have ever seen. Mr. Jammeh and his VP including all those APRC who are clinching on hoping to remain in power must lose every respect and protection from the Gambian people. Isatou Njie Saidy and those singing Jammeh’s illegal supreme court petition hate the Gamba and the peace and security of our beloved nation. They must be held accountable and must be forced out by ECOWAS and the International community. Since Jammeh and his people have declined the peaceful transition they must now face prosecution and possibly elimination as they are out to destroy the country. Gambia takes precedence over any individual family or political party. The clock is ticking and the day of reckoning is near.