Gambian President plotting to use Nigerian lawyers to stay in office

chika ebuzor

December 12, 2016 7:20 PM

Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh

The Gambian Bar Association (GBA) has alleged that President Yahya Jammeh is planning to use some lawyers in Nigeria to help him stay in office.

The lawyers also say they do not have any confidence in the Chief Justice of Gambia, Emmanuel Fagbenle, who is also a Nigerian.

The lawyers’ association alleged that Fagbenle wants to help Jammeh remain in office, adding that they are close friends.

According to Punch, the legal luminaries added that “There is a total breakdown of the rule of law and the Chief Justice has been known to carry out executive directives in matters of the state interest.

“Whenever there is an intention to constitute a Supreme Court, he (Fagbenle) and the Attorney General would handpick qualified lawyers or judges from commonwealth countries who would visit the Gambia for a two-week duration and are appointed by the President for that purpose to dispose of cases.

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“It is clear that Jammeh did not expect to lose the election and did not deem it fit to have a sitting permanent Supreme Court. This has inured to his benefit for the last two years during which several cases have sat unheard by a Supreme Court. Case in point is the appeal by the United Democratic Party against the conviction of its party leaders.”

After conceding defeat to Adama Barrow,Jammeh back-tracked and announced that he would no longer accept defeat in recent elections.

President Yahya Jammeh was defeated at the polls by Barrow during the December 1, 2016 presidential election.

chika ebuzor