The Gambia is all set to vote today in the much-awaited presidential election. This is for the first time in the years that the country will not have former dictator Yahya Jammeh appearing on the ballot.

Gambia heads for presidential election

Nigeria has sent 200 soldiers and air assets including fighter jets to Senegal as part of a regional force to enforce the result of Gambia&#39;s contested election, the country&#39;s air force said Wednesday.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it had &quot;today moved a contingent of 200 men and air assets comprising fighter jets, transport aircraft, light utility helicopter as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to Dakar from where it is expected to operate into Gambia&quot;.

The Economic Community Of West African States has repeatedly called on leader Yahya Jammeh to respect the result of the December 1 election and step down after 22 years in power.

Jammeh on Tuesday declared a state of emergency as President-elect Adama Barrow, who is currently in Senegal, maintained his inauguration will go ahead as planned on Thursday on Gambian soil.

Nigeria said the forces were part of an ECOWAS military standby intervention force &quot;tasked by ECOWAS heads of state to enforce the December 1, 2016 election mandate in The Gambia&quot;.

&quot;The deployment is also to forestall hostilities or breakdown of law and order that may result from the current political impasse in The Gambia,&quot; it added in a statement.

(AFP)

President Jammeh has refused to step down after the Dec. 1 elections results and declared a state of emergency in the country on Tuesday

Nigeria has sent 200 soldiers and air assets including fighter jets to Senegal as part of a regional force to enforce the result of Gambia's contested election, the country's air force said Wednesday. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it had "today moved a contingent of 200 men and air assets comprising fighter jets, transport aircraft, light utility helicopter as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to Dakar from where it is expected to operate into Gambia". The Economic Community Of West African States has repeatedly called on leader Yahya Jammeh to respect the result of the December 1 election and step down after 22 years in power. Jammeh on Tuesday declared a state of emergency as President-elect Adama Barrow, who is currently in Senegal, maintained his inauguration will go ahead as planned on Thursday on Gambian soil. Nigeria said the forces were part of an ECOWAS military standby intervention force "tasked by ECOWAS heads of state to enforce the December 1, 2016 election mandate in The Gambia". "The deployment is also to forestall hostilities or breakdown of law and order that may result from the current political impasse in The Gambia," it added in a statement. (AFP)

Gambia: Nigeria sends troops, jets to Senegal to 'enforce' election results

The UN Security Council on Saturday urged Gambia&#39;s President Yahya Jammeh to accept the presidential election results and hand over power to president-elect Adama Barrow.

Jammeh accepted had defeat in a surprise move a day after the December 1 vote but rejected the results in a televised address on Friday.

The 15 council members called on Jammeh to &quot;respect the choice of the sovereign people of The Gambia, as he did on December 2 2016, and to transfer, without condition and undue delay, power to the President-elect, Mr Adama Barrow.&quot;

They urged him to &quot;carry out a peaceful and orderly transition process and they requested that the security of the president-elect Adama Barrow, and that of all Gambian citizen be fully ensured,&quot; news agency AFP reported.

Council members condemned Jammeh&#39;s call for a new election.

&quot;Let me repeat: I will not accept the results based on what has happened,&quot; he said, condemning &quot;unacceptable errors&quot; on the part of electoral authorities in a statement broadcast on state television.

Jammeh claimed &quot;investigations&quot; had revealed that numerous voters had not been able to cast their ballots.

Senegal, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, has requested a meeting to discuss the crisis, which could be held on Monday, diplomats said, AFP said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a peaceful transition of power &quot;n full respect of the will of the Gambian people as expressed in the election&quot;.&nbsp;

President-elect Barrow said Jammeh had no legal standing and urged him to accept the results on Saturday.

Barrow, a property developer and political unknown till six months back, comfortably won the Dec 1 election with 45.54 per cent. Barrow was chosen as the opposition leader by a group of political parties who have joined forces for the first time and won unprecedented popular support.

(With inputs from AFP)

Jammeh accepted defeat a day after the December 1 vote but rejected the results a week later and called for fresh elections

The UN Security Council on Saturday urged Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh to accept the presidential election results and hand over power to president-elect Adama Barrow. Jammeh accepted had defeat in a surprise move a day after the December 1 vote but rejected the results in a televised address on Friday. The 15 council members called on Jammeh to "respect the choice of the sovereign people of The Gambia, as he did on December 2 2016, and to transfer, without condition and undue delay, power to the President-elect, Mr Adama Barrow." They urged him to "carry out a peaceful and orderly transition process and they requested that the security of the president-elect Adama Barrow, and that of all Gambian citizen be fully ensured," news agency AFP reported. Council members condemned Jammeh's call for a new election. "Let me repeat: I will not accept the results based on what has happened," he said, condemning "unacceptable errors" on the part of electoral authorities in a statement broadcast on state television. Jammeh claimed "investigations" had revealed that numerous voters had not been able to cast their ballots. Senegal, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, has requested a meeting to discuss the crisis, which could be held on Monday, diplomats said, AFP said. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a peaceful transition of power "n full respect of the will of the Gambian people as expressed in the election". President-elect Barrow said Jammeh had no legal standing and urged him to accept the results on Saturday. Barrow, a property developer and political unknown till six months back, comfortably won the Dec 1 election with 45.54 per cent. Barrow was chosen as the opposition leader by a group of political parties who have joined forces for the first time and won unprecedented popular support. (With inputs from AFP)

UN Security Council urges President Jammeh to hand over power

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Gambia heads for presidential election

Gambia: Nigeria sends troops, jets to Senegal to 'enforce' election results

UN Security Council urges President Jammeh to hand over power