Et tu, Jammeh?

He, certainly, has the longest name among African leaders bar the late Mobutu: Yahaya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkun Jammeh.

He refuses to wear the crown of ex-president of The Gambia bestowed on him by his people. The man is sitting on a three-legged stool, contesting his right not to be voted out of office as president of The Gambia. God almighty, after 22 years as absolute ruler, Jammeh is putting his tiny country, all 4,361 square miles of it with its 1.8 million people on the world map for the wrong reasons. He wants to defy the wish of the people and sit tight as a member of the African big men’s club. It is a cruel reminder that this dreadful affliction that has ruined many an African leader, has not quite been cured by the democratic prescription of recognising that the people are the custodians of power.

I am happy that Jammeh’s fellow ECOWAS leaders saw the danger if he is allowed to take his country down that leper’s isolated residence. Four of them, including Muhammadu Buhari, rushed to him on Tuesday last week to try and persuade the man not to disgrace himself and put the future of democracy in Africa under a huge question mark. It is a cause for cheer that African leaders are increasingly prepared to rise in defence of the sanctity of the ballot box.

But the four presidents, Buhari of Nigeria, Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson of Liberia, Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone and John Mahama of Ghana, left the meeting with Jammeh with sealed lips. Mum so far as of this writing, has been the word. An indication Jammeh will ignore them, stick to his gun and take his country down the path of ruin.

It seems to me that barring any political miracles, Jammeh will shatter the stability in this relatively peaceful African country. He is about to write his name in the black book of African politicians hoisted, dead or alive, on the petard of their own infamy. The man refuses to go quietly. It is a death wish. Not my wish; his wish.

Jammeh was a lowly ranking captain in his country’s army in 1994 when he edged his way into power in a bloodless coup against