Gambia Supreme Court unlikely to hear Jammeh petition

Gambia Supreme Court unlikely to hear Jammeh petition

Umaru Fofana

BBC Africa, Freetown

Posted at 14:22

The Gambia's Supreme Court is unlikely to convene and hear a petition by President Yayha Jammeh challenging the results of the 1 December election. 

Ahead of their planned sitting tomorrow, judges from Sierra Leone and Nigeria have still not travelled to The Gambia and are unlikely to do so, my judicial sources in the capital Banjul have confirmed. 

Sierra Leonean judge Nicolas Browne-Mark from has been spotted in the capital Freetown today. 

Four top Gambian judges have left the country and handed in their cars to the judicial secretary, thereby making it unlikely they could be asked to replace the foreigners. 

Only Justice O Uduma reported for work today. 

Gambia's Chief Justice, Nigerian-born Emmanuel Fagbele, had said that the five foreign judges from Nigeria and Sierra Leone would arrive before the court sitting on 10 January to hear the election petition. 

Mr Jammeh's mandate ends on 19 January when President-elect Adama Barrow says he will declare himself president. 

There's been no comment from the government.