TheCable

The national assembly of Gambia has passed a resolution to allow President Yahya Jammeh to stay in office for three months from Wednesday.

After losing the December election, Jammeh ought to hand over power to opposition leader Adama Barrow on Thursday.

He had initially accepted the result of the election, and congratulated his opponent, but the soldier turned politician made a dramatic U-turn, citing alleged irregularities in the poll.

Jammeh declared a 90-day emergency on Tuesday ahead his showdown with continental leaders.

President Muhammadu Buhari had led an ECOWAS delegation to appeal to Jammeh to step down, but he refused.

Barrow is currently in Senegal, awaiting his swearing-in.

The African Union (AU) says it will cease to recognise Jammeh from Thursday, while ECOWAS has vowed to remove him from office.

Quoting a source, BBC reported that Nigeria’s newest warship, the NNS Unity, is sailing towards Gambia ahead of possible military intervention.

The initial aim is to put on a show of force rather than to launch an attack.

Senegal is preparing ground troops ahead of Thursday’s deadline.

The Gambia’s tiny army is no match for the regional powers. In recent years, Jammeh has been promoting his loyalists, including army chief Ousman Badjie, to ranks beyond their competence.

This has further downgraded its military capabilities.

Thousands of Gambians have since fled the country because of the political crisis.