SAN FRANCISCO, January 19, (THEWILL) – Gambia’s President-elect, Adama Barrow will be inaugurated on Thursday at the country’s embassy in Dakar, Senegal, just as President Yahya Jammeh’s tenure terminates on Thursday.
The inauguration would hold at 1600 hours at the embassy, Barrow posted on his Facebook page.
This came as Google effectively recognised Barrow as the president of Gambia.
President Yahya Jammeh, who has led the country for more than 22 years, has defied all efforts by ECOWAS leaders to get him to step down from office having lost the country’s presidential election on December 1, 2016.
Jammeh disputed the elections a few days after he initially conceded defeat, citing widespread irregularities.
He has since remained in office, despite threats of military action from his counterparts in ECOWAS.
But Barrow disclosed that he will be sworn in at 4:00 pm local time in Dakar, the capital of Senegal and urged his supporters to attend the event.
“I would like to inform you that the Inauguration Ceremony is going to take place at the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal,” he said.
ECOWAS, the African Union, AU, and many world leaders are also expected to recognise Barrow as the Gambian President from January 19.
Barrow was relocated to Dakar by ECOWAS mediation team led by Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari.
Also in his Twitter handle, @adama_barrow, Barrow posted: “I would like to inform you that the Inauguration Ceremony is going to take place at the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal’’.
Barrow, a property developer, was recognised by Google shortly after the deadline for the expiration of Jammeh’s tenure.
A search for ‘Gambia president’ now returns Adama Barrow as the first option followed by Yahya Jammeh.
The President-elect had on Thursday morning tweeted: “My dearest Gambians — the presidency of Yahya Jammeh is officially over. The new era of Gambia is here at last. #NewGambia”.
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