Defeated Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh, has called the newly elected President of the country, Adama Barrow, to concede defeat.
There had been reports before the declaration of results that Mr. Jammeh had recorded a concession video.
The man, who had led Gambia with what many describe as an iron fist, promised to offer his guidance to Mr. Barrow 51, through the transition process.
He said he respects the will of the Gambian people, and that he was grateful to them and to the Almighty Allah for the opportunity to lead his people.
Mr. Jammeh in the hearty conversation shared some jokes with the new President. Mr. Barrow also thanked him for conceding defeat.
The head of The Gambia’s Electoral Commission declared Adama Barrow as the winner of the 2016 presidential election, with 263,515 votes to Yahya Jammeh’s 212,099 votes.
The Electoral Commissioner of Gambia, Chief Alieu Momar Njie, said it was unprecedented for a Gambian head of state to accept defeat before the final results
Mr. Barrow led a coalition of seven opposition parties to end the tyrannical rule of Mr. Jammeh who has been accused of suppressing freedoms, jailing political opponents and critics of his government, and in some cases killing such persons.
On Election Day, he shut down the internet blocking social media, blocked international phone calls and stopped many observers from observing the process.
Mr Jammeh had been in power for 22 years, after taking power in in a coup in 1994. The West African country has not had a smooth transfer of power since independence in 1965.
He had been trailing Mr. Barrow in partial results and was defeated in the capital, Banjul, his stronghold.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.
(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
