The High Level ECOWAS mediation mission led by Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has pushed forward its visit to Banjul, the capital of Gambia, to Friday, a statement Presidency said on Tuesday.
The statement signed by Presidential Media Aide, Garba Shehu said the rescheduling of the mediating visit was at the instance of the Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh.
“At the instance of President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia, the High Level ECOWAS mediation mission led by Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has pushed forward its visit to Banjul, the capital of Gambia, to Friday” Shehu said.
He added that “in accepting to postpone the visit earlier planned to take place on Wednesday, President Buhari, who is mediating alongside John Mahama, the immediate past president of Ghana said the delay notwithstanding, the mandate of the ECOWAS will be accomplished”.
President Buhari reiterated the appeal on Monday by ECOWAS leaders that the Gambian leaders do everything they can to douse the tension in the West African country, which has led citizens to leave the country due to political uncertainty.
The Nigerian leader also said ECOWAS is committed to the resolution of the crisis through inclusive dialogue with respect to the constitution and the will of the people of Gambia.
A meeting of West African Leaders hosted by President Buhari in Abuja on Monday had insisted that the embattled Gambian President Yahya Jammeh obeys the constitution of his country and handover power as at when due. They had decided that TK proceed to Gambia to in a final effort to resolve the impasse in the country.
Present at the meeting were Presidents of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is also the chair of the ECOWAS authority, the President of Senegal, Macky Sall and the former President of Ghana, John Mahama, who is also the co-chair mediator with President Buhari.
Also present were the Presidents of the ECOWAS commission and the Special Representatives of the United Nations Secretary General who is the head of the UN office for West Africa and the Sahel.
Jammeh who was defeated by Adama Barrow in the December 1st election is supposed to hand over on the 19th of January, even as he remains recalcitrant and insists he will hold onto power citing irregularities in the result of the polls.
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