THE CORRUPTION OF ABSOLUTE POWER; A FUNCTION OF TYRANNY - JOSHUA BAMIDELE

A man builds his name over time but ruins it over events. The choice of the people to decide who leads is a function of their ability to define the government they want of themselves. The tyranny of Jammeh to bow out of office following his defeat in the Gambia presidential election is a puzzle begging the question, "where are we heading to?".

Yahya Jammeh assumed office as the second president of Gambia following the military coup in 1994, seizing power from Sir Dawda Jawara. He was thereafter elected for a 5-years term in 1996 afterfounding a political party known as Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction and reelected on three consecutive terms in 2001, 2006 and 2011.

However, as much as Jammeh has had quite remarkable efforts in peace keeping, charity works, promotion of women's rights, islamization of the country as well as prohibition of homosexuality, his administration has been faulted on restrictions to press freedom which has been marked with arrests and killing of pressmen, abductions/kidnappings of activists, human rights abuse such as the Brutama students' killings in 2000.

Yahya Jammeh returned to polls in 2016 to contest for the fifth time as president. This met its shock as the incumbent president lost the election to Adama Barrow upon coalition of major opposition in an election conducted on 1st December, 2016. As soon as the elections were concluded and results announced, Jammeh congratulated Barrow and accepted defeat in good faith. The inauguration of the newly elected president was thus scheduled to hold on 19th January, 2017. However, Jammeh, on 9th December 2016 shockingly annulled the results of the election and filed a petition with the Supreme Court of the Gambia to contest the result of the election. The proceedings for the electoral matter commenced on 10th January, 2017 and was adjourned till May 2017.

As the case stands as of the moment, the president irrespective of interventions of the international community to appeal to him to bow out of office and accept defeat for peace to reign, all has been to naught as the inauguration program hasn't been able to hold on Gambia soil. This is nothing but a symbol of the corruption of absolute power.

The time is now that the people of Gambia, military and civilian coupled with international solidarities amass their strength in support of their duly and democratically elected president to move in a mass to expunge and exile the dictator from office.

The voice of the people is the liberation of the society

© JayD 2017