Gambian alliance stands firm despite Jammeh speech

First there was the shock that the party of The Gambia's President Adama Barrow had entered into an alliance with the party of the man he defeated in 2016, Yahya Jammeh.

Now voters are trying to understand the implications of Mr Jammeh rejecting that alliance ahead of December's presidential election.

Mr Jammeh, who has been accused of corruption and human rights abuses while in power, had to be forced to step down after refusing to leave office following his 2016 defeat.

The former president, who is in exile in Equatorial Guinea, told his supporters in the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) party on Saturday, that he was its chairman and flag-bearer and so could not agree to an alliance. 

But the APRC leadership in The Gambia does not agree.

On its part, Mr Barrow's National People's Party (NPP) says that it is sticking with the alliance despite the former president's announcement.

NPP deputy spokesperson Seedy Njie told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme that the alliance was still on as it was between two parties and not individuals.

He added that the leadership of the APRC said "the agreement with the NPP is intact and in full swing".

This article originally appeared on BBC News.

Photo: AFP