Adama Barrow defeats President Jammeh in Gambian presidential election

The head of The Gambia’s electoral commission has declared opposition candidate Adama Barrow as the winner of the 2016 presidential election.

The results were:

Adama Barrow – 263,515 votes

Yahya Jammeh – 212,099 votes

‘I hereby declare Adama Barrow duly elected’

BBC correspondent has just sent the the official statement announcing the results of the presidential election:

Alastair Leithead, BBC Africa correspondent wrote:

A huge surprise in The Gambia

PHOTO: barrow AP

Few expected Adama Barrow to be declared the winner

President Jammeh’s defeat comes as a huge surprise. 

Despite a surge of support for an opposition broadly united behind one candidate, most people expected the status quo to prevail. 

Hopes weren’t high for a peaceful transfer of power, with a crackdown on opposition leaders months before the polls, the banning of international observers or post-election demonstrations and then the switching off of the internet. 

But in a place where glass beads act as ballot papers it seems the marbles have spoken. 

The news of the shock opposition victory came as the internet came back online. 

The unseating of an incumbent president is not the usual way politics goes in this part of the world – but it’s becoming popular in West Africa at least.

Just last year Muhammadu Buhari made history by unseating Goodluck Jonathan and his People’s Democratic Party which had run the country for 16 years. 

He conceded defeat – as President Jammeh is reportedly about to do – opening the way to a new era after 22 years, and four terms in office.

Former businessman Adama Barrow looks set to have the chance to tackle the poverty and unemployment which drives so many young Gambians to join the Mediterranean migrant trail every year.

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