Just when the world was beginning to witness the emergence of a new trend in Africa, where losers of presidential elections willingly and peacefully concede defeat, a major setback has occurred in The Gambia. Yahya Jammeh, a despot of 22 years, has thrown the future of the country into uncertainty after his recent announcement that the election he lost was not free and fair after all and should be annulled.
Jammeh’s egregious action portends a serious setback to a continent that has already witnessed a few shining examples such as those in Ghana, that is already beginning to build up an impressive list of ex-presidents, Zambia, Senegal and even Nigeria, where Goodluck Jonathan became the first incumbent president to be ousted in an election. These few countries have proved that, in Africa, it is possible for incumbent presidents to be defeated in an election.
The Gambian tyrant had actually raised hope that democratic values and tradition were gradually taking a firm root in Africa when he initially conceded defeat at the end of the election, which he lost by scoring 36.7 per cent of votes cast as against the 45.5 per cent scored by the winner, Adama Barrow. Although there was a review of the result which reduced Barrow’s victory margin from nine per cent to four per cent, it did not in any way invalidate the outcome.
But, in a move not altogether surprising to close followers of events in the tiny West African country of about 1.8 million people, Jammeh has thrown a spanner in the works by claiming, “After a thorough investigation, I have decided to reject the recent election.” This is ominous.
By casting doubts on the process and outcome of the fifth election he would be participating in – after successfully railroading his way through the previous four – Jammeh is now trying to bring to fruition his previous boasts that he was not afraid of the fate that befell such fallen African despots as Muammar Gaddafi, killed in a revolution in Libya, and his Egyptian counterpart, Hosni Mubarak, currently incarcerated for corruption. “I will deliver the Gambian people and if I have to rule this country for one billion years, I will, if Allah says so,” he had told the BBC in an interview five years ago.
There is no doubt that the Gambian experience has successfully taken the shine away from the excellent example of Ghana, whose leader, John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress, has just gracefully conceded defeat to Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party, after the country’s last presidential poll. The outcome of the election has further reinforced Ghana as an oasis of calm in a continent where a sprinkle of tyrants still hold sway.
Mahama thus joins Jerry Rawlings who handed over power to John Kufour, who, in turn, stepped down after serving his maximum tenure. For Akufo-Addo, it is a prize for persistence and perseverance. Akufo-Addo was defeated by John Atta Mills, who, however, died in office, paving the way for Mahama, his deputy, to take over. The same Mahama, who defeated Akufo-Addo in the previous presidential election, has now been paid back in kind.
Ghana is gradually becoming a sterling example of a stable democracy and this is rubbing off on her human development indices. Just as in other developed democracies, elections in Ghana are not seen as war. “I think Ghana’s democracy has matured. This election is going to consolidate that democracy further,” said Mahama, who described the atmosphere as calm. This is a lesson for Nigerians, especially the Rivers State people. A situation where election rerun is followed by endless other reruns should no longer be the standard for Nigeria.
Unfortunately, the Ghana lesson is yet to sink in in The Gambia or many other African countries. Aside from running the economy aground, with foreign aid from the usual sources gradually drying up, Jammeh, who has been accused of gross human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings, is about to drag his country into political turmoil. Before the elections, he had banned foreign observers, especially those from Europe. Doubtlessly, this will further scare away tourists from the attractive white beaches in a country where tourism brings in about 20 per cent of its foreign earnings.
It is now left for world leaders and, indeed, African Union leaders, who have been gradually isolating Jammeh because of his weird approach to governance, to move quickly and ensure that the situation does not descend into chaos. It is really heartwarming that the sub-regional body, ECOWAS, is already taking the step by sending a delegation, which includes President Muhammadu Buhari, to Banjul to persuade Jammeh to leave office peacefully.
During a similar situation in Ivory Coast, when Laurent Gbagbo refused to give up power after losing to the current president, Alassane Quattara, the result was serious bloodshed that pitted soldiers from different parts of the country against themselves. With the aid of French troops, Gbagbo was eventually ousted by force and is now standing trial at the International Criminal Court.
In apparent anticipation of the fate that awaits him when he is eventually ousted from power, Jammeh, alongside Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta and South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, has applied for the withdrawal of The Gambia from the ICC, claiming it is targeted at African leaders. But, with conduct such as Jammeh has just put up, attempting to subvert the wishes of the people at the polls, it is difficult to see how African leaders would not continue to dominate proceedings at the court set up to deal with leaders who commit crimes against humanity, and appear to be too strong to be handled by their country’s weak judicial process.
While Ghanaians should by now be celebrating the coming of age of democracy in their country, the people of The Gambia should also see it as a duty to ensure that Jammeh does not get away with his latest trick. Thereafter, they should ensure that he has his day at the ICC.
