Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari says Gambia’s president Yahya Jammeh has been “very receptive” to a delegation of west African leaders, who were expected to urge the long-ruling leader to step down following a poll defeat, according to a report on Tuesday.
Several west African leaders arrived in Gambia on Tuesday to urge Jammeh to respect elections that voted him out of power after 22 years.
Jammeh initially conceded defeat but late last week announced he was rejecting the December 1 vote results. He alleged voting irregularities.
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf headed the meetings with Jammeh. Other leaders included Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma, outgoing Ghana president John Mahama and Buhari.
According to BBC, the four leaders met with Jammeh behind closed doors.
Asked if Jammeh had been receptive, Buhari told reporters shortly after the meeting: “Yes, very much so.”
Asked Buhari if Jammeh was receptive -“Very much so.” He’d only meet the 4 presidents for the 1hr meeting behind closed doors -no entourage.
— Ruth Maclean (@ruthmaclean) December 13, 2016
Meanwhile, the head of Gambia’s electoral commission Alieu Momar Njai reportedly said that he had left his office building after being ordered to do so by security forces.
Njai said that troops appeared to have followed orders.
“I left. I came back home,” BBC quoted him as saying.
Njai said this following reports that the Gambian security forces had blocked access to the electoral commission, refusing to let staffers enter.
.@JDMahama and other West African Leaders hold meeting with Gambia’s Jammeh, to get him to step down. pic.twitter.com/0Hus8oA8XG
— Jude Duncan (@mensaduncan) December 13, 2016
Our meeting with President Yahya Jammeh, at the State House pic.twitter.com/y6EHp5RG1Z
— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) December 13, 2016
