The call for change of government after decades of rule by one family is echoing the clarion call for an end to self-perpetuating rule which governed the Campaign of Coalition 2016 during last year’ presidential election in The Gambia. In the Gambia the ballot box has led to change that was considered impossible; now the Gambian people are waiting for the Constitutional reforms that would introduce a term limit, thus putting an end to self -perpetuating rule of the past.
The democratic forces in Togo are also calling on president Eyaedema to introduce a two term limit and vacate office since he has already served two terms; if he adheres to this call he would earn the benefit of making Togo to be the last country in West Africa where self-perpetuating rule would be a matter of history.
The Gambian decision makers should hasten the Constitutional reform process so that the country would not be the last in West Africa to introduce term limit. Togo is now under pressure to introduce a presidential term limit; once these two countries introduce a term limit West Africa would constitute the first region where self-perpetuating rule would have suffered the definitive blow by constitutional dictate. Now the battle is on for second to last position in putting an end to self-perpetuating rule. Would Gambia be second to last or last? History will tell.
