Gambia's Jammeh loses Banjul votes to opposition, heavy security deployed

Official results from Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) indicates that opposition leader Adama Barrow has beaten incumbent President Yahya Jammeh in the capital Banjul.

Barrow took nearly 50 percent of the vote in Banjul’s three constituencies followed by Jammeh who had 43 percent and the third party candidate Mama Kandeh taking 7.6 percent.

AFP reports of heavy security deployment in the capital on Friday made up of military and police personnel with some wearing masks.

They are reported to have set up checkpoints every few hundred metres on the outskirts of the capital.

Vote counting is slow and as at Friday noon, almost 50% of results are yet to be declared.

Internet and phone service were briefly resumed around 0500 GMT after they were shutdown Wednesday evening, AFP reports.

Results are being released by different unofficial sources online and on air by the state television and radio which is relied on by many Gambians.

Both Adama Barrow and Yahya Jammeh said they had won by a huge margin after Thursday’s vote.

“Power belongs to the people. You cannot stop us and you cannot stop them,” Barrow said.

“This is the biggest landslide in the history of my elections,” Jammeh predicted.

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