By Rohey Jadama
Barrister Edward A. Gomez, the Attorney for Yaya Jammeh and the Alliance for Patriotic Re-orientation and 
Construction (APRC) party has intimated to a panel of five Judges of the Supreme Court of the Gambia headed by the Chief Justice Hassan B. Jallow that the petitioner intends to withdraw the petition.
“My lord pursuant to an instruction from my client I have filed a notice of withdrawal of this case. This is in the best interest of the country and Gambians to ensure peace, harmony and order”, Lawyer Gomez said in a crowded courtroom.
There was no objection from Lawyer Bingadi, who entered representation for the Attorney General.
However, after browsing through the notice of withdrawal filed by Lawyer Gomez, the Chief Justice said the procedure as per the laws of the Gambia for a withdrawal of a petition was not followed by Lawyer Gomez.
This prompted, counsel for the petitioner Gomez to apply for a short adjournment to regularize the notice of withdrawal.
The case was unanimously adjourned till 24 May, 2017 at 9am.
Two similar but separate election petitions are before the court. One is filed by Yankuba Colley, the national mobiliser APRC party, on behalf of 5,000 APRC supporters against the electoral commission, Attorney General and Adama Barrow. The other petition filed by the APRC party against the IEC and the Attorney General seeks the apex court to declare the 1st December 2016 presidential election conducted by the IEC “null and void”.
Lawyer Gomez again craved the indulgence of the court to grant him an adjournment to regularize his notices of withdrawal.
Without any objection from Lawyer Bingadi, the application was granted and all three petitions are adjourned till 24 May 2017.
