This is very similar to what is happening in the Gambia. In December 2016, the incumbent President, Yahya Jammeh, lost the Presidential election to Adama Barrow. After initially conceding defeat, Jammeh made a U-turn and declared that he would not accept the result of the election and consequently, he would not step down on the proposed date (January 19).
It is clear that Jammeh has run mad. ECOWAS has been at the forefront of mediation efforts aimed at persuading Jammeh to step down; all to no avail. ECOWAS has stated unequivocally that it will use military force to chase out Jammeh. A good number of his ministers have resigned already. Many military officers have defected. In any case, it is hardly possible that a country like Gambia will be able to withstand international military might (it is not Cuba and Jammeh is no Fidel Castro) especially when he is not backed by a world power (as is the case in Syria). In the face of all these glaring realities, its only someone who is out of his mind that will insist on remaining in power. He didn't even learn from the experience of the former President of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo. If (when) he's caught, he will be arrested and be given the Gbagbo treatment (charged for war crimes). Its possible however, that Jammeh knows his days are numbered, but he simply doesn't want to go down alone. Whatever the case may be, he is still insane. Furthermore, declaring a state of emergency in the country and getting the parliament to extend his tenure wouldn't help his cause. ECOWAS is obviously more interested in the December 1 mandate of the people than what the parliament is doing. They have already amassed military personnel and artillery on the Senegalese border with Gambia. A war is imminent.
There is nothing wrong with Jammeh stepping down while challenging his defeat in court. That is the norm - not for him to continue to perpetuate himself in office. Yet another sign of his madness was his plan to "import" judges from Nigeria to adjudicate on the matter due to the paucity of Gambian bred judges (a development whose fault is also traceable to him). It is not known that a person practicing as a judge in one country can be transferred to another country to adjudicate. That's quite nouvelle in our jurisprudence.
It would have been wiser for Jammeh to tow the part of honour exemplified even recently by the immediate past President of Ghana, John Mahama and accept defeat, or contest his loss but hand over in the mean time than to defiantly remain in office, risking putting his country at war, and eventually get chased away and, probably, arrested. By his actions, he may just become a cell mate to Laurent Gbagbo.
Perhaps, it is the power of the abovementioned saying that is playing out. This same scenario played out in the fall of Gaddafi and Laurent Gbagbo. The end result may just be to disgrace such a tyrant out of power as if he had accepted defeat peacefully, he wouldn't face the kind of embarrassing removal befitting for dictators. He would have been praised and celebrated as a hero.
West Africa is taking the lead in democratization in Africa. Sit-tight leaders are now very few in the subregion and another one is about to be removed (no matter how long it will take). ECOWAS must be given kudos for their efforts aimed at ensuring democratization. It is hoped that other parts of Africa will take a cue from West Africa and give power to the people.
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