President Barrow wins second term in Gambia election

By Jacob Kubeka –

Adams Barrow won a second term in Gambia’s presidential election, with thousands of his supporters celebrated in the streets of Banjul after his opponents disputing the results revealed late Sunday.

According to the election commission’s statistics, Barrow, who took office five years ago after a dictatorship of more than 20 years, received more than 53 percent of the vote. Ousainou Darboe, his major opponent, received 27.7% of the vote.

Mama Kandeh is in third position with 105,892 votes (12%). Halifa Sallah, the veteran opposition leader, came in fourth place with 32,435 votes, or 4% of the vote.

Independent candidate Essa Faal, in 5th place with 17,206 votes, and Ablie Jammeh, in last place with 8,252 votes, are the remaining candidates defeated by Barrow.

Saturday’s election, the first since former dictator Yahya Jammeh fled into exile, is seen as crucial for the young West African democracy.

Electoral commission chairman Alieu Momarr Njai declared Barrow the winner, announcing the final results to journalists hours after rival candidates had challenged partial results that gave him a commanding lead.

Crowds of Barrow’s supporters marched through the streets of the capital to a din of horns and danced on a vast esplanade.

Barrow received a standing ovation when he addressed them with “a great sense of joy and humility” and called on his supporters to respect those who voted for his opponents in a “free, fair and transparent election”.

“I will do all I can and utilise every resource at my disposal to make The Gambia a better place for us all,” he said.

AFP