Gambia's long-time ruler, Yahya Jammeh, has lost the presidential election to the opposition leader, Adama Barrow bringing an end Jammeh's 22-year rule. Jammeh, who came to power in 1994 as a 29-year-old army officer following a military coup, had won four previous polls.
Electoral Commission Chief Alieu Momarr Njai declared on state TV that Mr Jammeh had lost and had recorded a statement to concede, which would be broadcast later. He said Mr Jammeh received just 36.7 per cent of the vote compared to Adama Barrow's 45.5 per cent.
"Having received 263, 515 votes out of the total votes cast in the election, I hereby declare Adama Barrow newly elected to serve as president of the republic of the Gambia," said Mr Njai.
Earlier he said it was "very unique" for Mr Jammeh to be conceding, more than two decades after he seized power from Gambia's first president in a bloodless coup.
