By Lamin Njie
Thousands of Gambians on Monday took to the streets to demand President Adama Barrow step down from power by 19 January 2020, as part of an agreement that was struck in 2016.
President Barrow in 2016 promised political parties that backed him that he would preside over a transition government of three years. He has now changed his mind saying he will be in office for five years ‘whether one likes it not’.
On Monday, members of Operation Three Years Jotna, a pressure group that is campaigning for him to respect his pledge took to the streets to demand he leave power.
“People thought we couldn’t do this but we thank God that people have answered our call and have turned out in their large numbers,” Operation Three Years Jotna chairman Abdou Njie told The Fatu Network at Sting Corner as the protesters gathered for a march to Denton Bridge.
At 10;30am, the protesters began a five kilometers walk from Sting Corner to Denton Bridge, chanting ‘three years, three years’.
At Denton Bridge, there was mild drama after some of the protesters reacted with anger over President Barrow’s decision to entrust government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh with the task of meeting with the protesters. Some of the protesters insisted he was junior government official who they should not hand their petition to.
