The Editor,
Jammeh’s impromptu phone call to President Johnson Sirleaf could be analyzed in twofold: blackmail or desperation as the clock is ticking too fast against him which he realized.
Listening to the televised phone call, the purpose of which is to have President Sirleaf engage her ECOWAS colleagues to have the judges travel to Gambia to ‘rule in his favor’.
This to me is blackmailing of ECOWAS as he is trying to tie their hands and to have them ponder over his threat to stop the inauguration of Adama Barrow, which the ECOWAS vowed that it would take place.
How many times have the other opposition parties petitioned the courts and that never stopped Jammeh from being sworn in?
I think Jammeh is desperate and has now sensed that ECOWAS was not just making a threat, but rather very serious to have Adama Barrow inaugurated on January 19th.
He perhaps sensed that these people’s seriousness for business on Thursday after realizing that Adama didn’t return directly to Gambia from Mali, but rather to Senegal.
This, I believe has sent some chilling discomfort in him and therefore schemed this televised phone call to blackmail ECOWAS by disturbing the old lady (President Sirleaf) that if the Judges aren’t allowed to go to Gambia and do the job for him, he will stop the inauguration.
Amad Jobe
Banjul, The Gambia