Freedom at last! The moment Yahya Jammeh vacated the presidential villa in Gambia

It was a long drawn out battle. Yahya Jammeh, who was so certain of triumph that he insisted there be no violence or dissent once the winner to the Gambian presidential elections was called out, dug in his heels and refused to leave the presidential villa. This, after he had initially conceded defeat! He never hexperredit. When you have held a nation by its balls for so long, you cannot conceive of them going against you. But the Gambians wanted freedom at all cost and finally, democracy won.

To think that this man initially conceded but his village people started blowing him breeze ffffuuuuuuu! I’m sure he checked his CV and realised he wasn’t good for much else so he figured “Well, I am the president. Who is the boss of me? Who’s going to make me do something I don’t want to?” and that informed his next course of action.

It would, however, seem the other African leaders were not here for his shenanigans. Goodluck Jonathan had stepped down without a peep. Power had changed hands in Ghana without so much as a squeak. Africa was finally earning the reputation of holding transparent, democratic elections Yahya Jammeh ruin that.

ECOWAS parked up outside his borders complete with military might and fighter jets. Even Buhari took a break from travelling and ignoring ISIS to lend the Nigeria military to the situation. Meanwhile any Gambian with an option scarpered as fast as their legs could carry them. The president elect, Barrow was sworn in in neighbouring Senegal, and the UN released a statement to the effect that they recognised Barrow as the president of Gambia. The head of Gambian military declared that this was a political matter, and he would not be getting his boys involved in a meaningless war. He went back home and put the kettle on, I assume. Nobody wants to lose the lives of his soldiers or die unnecessarily, and fair play to him!

And still Jammeh stayed put. Just tensioning everybody for no reason at all.

And right up to the point where it seemed as though war was going to break out, he stepped down. Just like that.

Personally, I think he had seen the videos of what happened to Gaddafi and decided that this whole by-force presidency thing “didn’t” worth it!

I’m listening to the chants of “Freedom! Freedom!” as his motorcade left the presidential villa at last, and I can’t help but think: he didn’t love this people. They were speaking with a uniform voice and right up to the end, Yahya Jammeh just wanted power.

Whether they do it with a Bible or with a Qur’an, beware leaders who declare their ambitions for their nation and support it with God’s word.