Little Known Facts About Gambia’s President Elect Adama Barrow

One of the biggest upsets in political history occurred this December 2016 in the West African nation of Gambia which borders Senegal. Adama Barrow, a real estate businessman unseated long time dictator Yahya Jammeh. President Jammeh took over power in a coup 22 years ago and like many leaders before him had proclaimed that he would rule for a billion years. The billion years lasted 22 years. So who is this man who unseated the strongman of Gambia?

Adama Barrow was born in Gambia in Kunda village near the town of Basse. He was born February 15, 1965 the same year that Gambia obtained its independence from brutal British colonial rule. Barrow is part of the generation of Africans known as ‘Born free’ He attended Muslim High School through a scholarship and completed his higher education at a university in the United Kingdom where he studied real estate.

Barrow is the quintessential hardworking African who rose from colonial subject to economic power as the CEO property development mogul to political power now as President of Gambia. His inauguration will mark the first peaceful transition of power in the country’s history. Many hope that current President Jammeh will follow Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria’s smooth handover of power.

Adama Barrow is a devout Sunni Muslim. Barrow has 2 wives with 5 children which is in line with his Muslim faith. Barrow came to power to unseat the strongman through a coalition of opposition parties which forsook their purity tests to join forces and eventually unseat the man everyone feared in Gambia.