Most Gambian political aspirants, pundits and rights activists would not openly admit to this fact, but would be hard press to refute it as baseless.
President Jammeh has grown to be a shrewd and calculating strategist and a one-man political machine.
Of course this is not to say he had or has no helpers in the process in both the willing and unsuspecting.
Or that he can decipher any and all political challenge or situations in the present and future and will be able to deal with all of these in a manner that does not give credence to what must be an unwelcome title of ‘mad dog’ or better yet my favorite, ‘stubborn strongman’ of West Africa.
The President of the smallest country on the African Mainland, The Gambia, an enclave surrounded by its bigger neighbor Senegal has been the focus of many international headlines and not always in a positive way.
This has given ammunition to his political opponents, especially those most vocal and living in the Diaspora. This rendered me to analyze the provocation; does the President have the political savvy and counsel (if any) to effectively neutralize the fierce and unrelenting political pressures that the determined, hardly appeased and ferocious group of Diaspora Gambians bent on ending his political fortunes seem to be exerting on his regime?
In 1994, when then young and charismatic army lieutenant Jammeh and his cohorts suddenly bristled to power, the whole country was both shocked and optimistic by the audacity in the act of the querulous and ambitious young ‘patriots’ who constantly and with incessant frequency repeat to our eager ears that all was not well and they were forced to take such unimaginable measure and put their lives on the line for the common good.
They argued that there was ‘rampant corruption’, nepotism, class discrimination and stagnation in our national development endeavors. It was not a hard sell.
Most Gambians were aware of these vices but were not ready to trade that Gambia ‘kairo’ (convenient peace) with the political agitations needed to change the status quo.
Thus, there was not enough reason to suspect Rt Colonel Yahya Jammeh when he made the pronouncement that they are ready to make a swift return to civilian rule and return to the barracks.
After all, it was not at all clear that anyone of the relatively young soldiers (unschooled in the art of political governance) were motivated by power.
This is relevant just because it reveals the gradual and systematic model Army Officer Jammeh now President Jammeh took to consolidate his political power and will on The Gambia.
It was obvious to Yahya Jammeh in that the path to his ultimate goal of becoming what most of us later learned to be a childhood dream and long held believed on his part that he is destined to be ‘Babili Mansa’ was mired with obstacles in the form of his co-conspirators.
The most potent were the over-zealous Capt. Sanna Sabally and militarily entrenched Capt. Edward Singhateh mainly as a result of his dominant younger brother Major Peter Singhateh who was a force in the ranks and an insurance policy against threats to his interest and well being.
It became increasingly obvious to Jammeh that he cannot have rival power cycles within the alliance if he was going to be successful. Not to worry, there was a way out of this conundrum and get by this perceived and indeed real arch rivals.
First, let Sabally self-destruct with his brutal and flagrant abuse of power and disregard for even the most respected elders if he ever suspected you to be standing in his way.
His human right abuses were so well known and documented that he was more feared than Chairman Jammeh as was known at the time as head of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC).
Sabally by his reckless actions had spent all his political capital and goodwill with most Gambians so much so that when he was arrested for plotting against Chairman Jammeh, there were few sympathisers.
With Sanna out of the picture, he steadily plan and meticulously executed the discrediting and curtailing the powers Edward Singhateh possessed.
First by moving Edward from one portfolio to the other to create the impression of incompetence and moving Peter Singhateh from active military engagements and operations to desk duty veiled as a promotion.
Sixteen years went by and Yahya Jammeh is now the King that never was (Babili Mansa) and all five of his former cohorts are either Deceased or relegated to bread crumb eaters.
Precisely how this came to be is a subject of online debates, blame game and even fierce personal attacks between former military personnel and regime insiders.
One thing is clear, Yahya Jammeh is brighter or perhaps more determined than most past and present rivals or foes as the case may be.