(JollofNews) – President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia has used his first day of re-election campaign to call on Gambians to shun violence and nurture peace in the country.
Addressing thousands of supporters in Essau, Lower Nuimi, North Bank Region, Mr Jammeh,51, who has been governing the west African country since July 1994 and is being challenged in next month’s election by Adama Barrow of the opposition coalition and Mamma Kandeh of the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), said the Gambia has always been a country of peace and stability and all Gambians should jealoously guard and nurture that peace.
He also appealed to Gambians to shun the politics of tribalism during and after the election period. He said the elections should not be a pathway to witch-hunt one another or be taken as opportunity to divide families.
“No one has the right to campaign for violence or intimidate anyone,” Mr Jammeh said.
“We campaign for peace and stability but not violence. Tribalism is ungodly especially to you the young people because it will take you backward. I will not compromise the country’s peace and security irrespective of who is involve. My party has been campaigning peaceful.
The president commended the people of Essau and Nuimi for the support they have rendered to the APRC during the past years.
He pledged to make the country an economic superpower that will entail free university education and free health care for all by 2017 and 2018 respectively.
