Opposition leader Adama Barrow takes early lead over President Yahya Jammeh

Adama Barrow

Early results from Gambia's presidential election give opposition candidate Adama Barrow the edge over President Yahya Jammeh, reports say.

The BBC's Umaru Fofana in The Gambia says he has confirmation that Mr Barrow has won the capital Banjul:


#Gambia's opposotion coalition candidate, Adama Barrow has won the capital, Banjul as officially announced by the electoral commission.

However less than 15% of the ballots cast by nearly 890,000 registered voters have so far been counted, AFP news agency reports.

Soldiers and police officers have this morning been setting up checkpoints every few hundred metres on the outskirts of the capital, the news agency says.

The government shut down the internet and blocked international calls while the election took place.

Mr Jammeh who has ruled the country since 1994 after a coup, is seeking a fifth term in office.

Mr Barrow, an estate agent who, according to British news reports, was once a security guard in the UK high street store Argos, has generated fresh enthusiasm among opposition supporters.

BBC