Opinion, Social, TorchLight

Torchlight: Reflecting On Gambia’s Election

michael-scales(JollofNews) – I was drawn to JollofNews Radio into the early hours of Friday night as the mixed bag of results streamed through.

It soon became apparent that this was not going to be another Jammeh landslide. I was reminded of the saying: “The impossible takes time, but a miracle takes longer”. As the site crashed by the sheer volume of visitors, I went to bed thinking only of a miracle.

A few hours later, I awoke to a message from the Editor on my answerphone “Jammeh is no more. We have won.” I must admit to being so excited that I forgot breakfast and only ate at around 5pm.

After, I exchanged congratulations with Pa Nderry Mbai of Freedom Newspaper and I called him my hero and he replied saying. “Thank you my good old friend.”

The enforced 22 year reign of President Yahya Jammeh is over. But the echoes from so many graves chant for justice. The prisoners scream for salvation, and the pockets of the poor cry for stitches.

Let us pray for the dead and  for those missing to be found still alive in some abandoned cells. What can be salvaged must be repaired and made to work again and money to rebuild a decimated economy must be found and negotiated for towards a solid economic foundation.

Should we congratulate the combined efforts of the opposition led by Mr President elect Barrow? If only to ask why not 10 years ago? Reading the below par and friendly concessionary tone from Mr Jammeh, should we opine that here sounds a very depressed, broken and sad man who wants to be a farmer?

Will Mr Barrow renounce his business interests like Donald Trump so there can be no conflict of interest in his term of office?

The accountability required by the online media must continue. I would also suspect that while Mr Jammeh is residing in Kanilai with his team, it can never be truly over. The wolf will be stalking at the gate. Exciting but strange times ahead.

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