President Jammeh's U-Turn

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• President Jammeh and first lady Zainab Zuma, the first lady

Gambian president Yahya Jammeh is trapped in the plush of a polygamous life style, a practice he had seemingly despised.

Polygamy is believed to be an exclusive privilege of African men and The Gambian leader is now one of them. He has over the years earned support of Gambian women for his acclaimed women empowerment initiatives.

In 2009, he raised eyebrows when he castigated Gambian men for taking on more than one wife, a remark that invite  applause at the National Assembly during the state opening of the legislative year.

 He even threatened to seize properties of men who mistreat their first wives after marrying an apparently beautifully plump and younger wife.

But the president himself now bags two, despite expressing outrage at the attitude of Gambian men marrying more wives.

Analysts say it is somewhat common for president Jammeh who came in power in 1994 through a coup before restoring (Lilliput) democracy, to go against his words.

As one analyst said: “He (Jammeh) recently [during meeting with Banjul Mandinka society] said his government is not regional bias, while six months ago, he vowed not to develop certain regions because they failed to vote for him.” 9

Meanwhile The Gambian first lady Zeinab Suma Jammeh is a Guinean, who president Jammeh married after what seemed to be separating with the former first lady Tuti Faal, a Gambian.

And his taking on of Her Excellency young Lady Halima Sallah has been greeted with mixed feelings, as some did not find fault, whilst others seem not to be happy about it, an opinion poll reveals.

“So Jammeh has married his third wife big deal. He divorced his first wife. He married a second wife and married a third wife. What’s all the fuss about?” said anonymous contributor on one of Gambian online newspapers. “Each wife knows about the other and all consented to marry him. What’s up! Are the objectors just jealous or what?”

However, another anonymous writer writes: Respect your wives my Muslim brothers and stop using religion as an excuse to abuse women.”