21st January, 2017
To rub his large ego, he was given a full ceremonial honour by the military brass band and a red carpet treatment.
Hordes of journalists and a battery of photographers had camped all day at the Banjul International Airport waiting for his departure, after an agreement was reached Friday night with President Alpha Conde of Guinea and President Abdul Aziz of Mauritania, for him to vacate power voluntarily.
Signs of Jammeh’s exit came at about 9pm Nigerian time, when one of the journalists keeping vigil, tweeted:
“The #Gambia military brass band is here @ the airport. The red carpet has been rolled out. Yahya Jammeh should be on his way.”
The former soldier turned civilian leader held sway in the country for 22 years and had vowed to rule the country for a hyperbolic ‘billion years’ until he was thrashed in the presidential election by a political green horn, Adama Barrow.
It is not clear where Jammeh will end up eventually. He flew out with President Alpha Conde in an aircraft owned by Mauritania.
After landing in Conakry, Jammeh may finally be heading to Malabo, capital of Equatorial Guinea, ruled by another African pseudo democrat,Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo who has been in power since 1979.