Adama Barrow has been sworn in as the Gambia’s president for a second term after the Supreme Court upheld his re-election for a second time.
The Gambian Presidency has posted footage on Facebook of the 56-year-old taking the oath of office. The opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) had challenged the results of the December 4, election that saw Mr. Barrow won with 53% of the votes.
The UDP said the vote was marred by widespread irregularities. On Monday, the country’s Supreme Court upheld its December 28 ruling, dismissing the opposition’s petition. Mr Barrow is a successful property developer who once worked as a security guard in London. He sprung a major surprise by defeating Yahya Jammeh in the last presidential vote in 2017.
Mr. Jammeh’s 22-year rule was marked by allegations of abuse, with witnesses telling a truth commission after he went into exile about state-backed execution squads and forcing Aids patients to take bogus cures.