With six days to go until Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh’s constitutional term in office ends, Nigeria’s House of Representatives is to consider whether the country should grant asylum to him.
Mr Jammeh lost elections last month – and although he initially accepted defeat he has since lodged a case before the Supreme Court requesting the result be annulled.
But the court is unable to hold a hearing until May – as most of the judges come from neighbouring countries – and Mr Jammeh has said he is going nowhere until then.
Nigeria’s President Muhammudu Buhari, as the chief regional mediator, is due in The Gambia Friday.
Abdulrazak Namdas, spokesperson of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, told the BBC Hausa Service the lower house will be debating the motion on Thursday.
Asylum seems a perfect soft-landing for Jammeh who has hinted strongly he was not about to quit the seat he has occupied for 22 years.
