AU describes Jammeh's overturning of poll loss as 'null and void'

The African Union (AU) has described as ‘null and void’ the decision by the Gambia’s outgoing president Yahya Jammeh to overturn results of the last presidential polls held on December 1.

The AU in a statement released hours after Jammeh’s declaration of state TV that the elections will have to be rerun after his team cited irregularities said, ‘‘The Chairperson of the Commission reaffirms the imperative for the concerned stakeholders to strictly comply with the rule of law and the respect of the will of their people as clearly expressed during the 1 December presidential elections.’‘

‘‘The Chairperson of the Commission underlines that the statement made on 9 December 2016 by the outgoing President Yahya Jammeh, who had already publicly and gracefully recognized that the victory of the President-elect Adama Barrow is the true expression of the will of the Gambian people, is null and void,’‘ the statement added.

The Chairperson of the Commission underlines that the statement made on 9 December 2016 by the outgoing President Yahya Jammeh, who had already publicly and gracefully recognized that the victory of the President-elect Adama Barrow is the true expression of the will of the Gambian people, is null and void.

The AU also urged Jammeh to facilitate peaceful transfer of power to Adama Barrow. She also asked the security and defense agencies to remain strictly neutral.

“I want to make it very clear, in the same way I accept the results on the basis that the IECis independent, I will not accept the result. I reject the results. I hereby annul the results and we will go back to the polls,” Jammeh announced on Friday night.

AU describes Jammeh's overturning of poll loss as 'null and void'

The AU is the second entity to speak on the Gambian situation after Senegal, Gambia’s only land neighbor. Senegal’s foreign minister condemned Jammeh and called on him to abide by the laws and to hand over power. www.africanews.com