President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday justified the role he played in the ouster of former Gambian leader, Yahaya Jammeh in January, 2016.

He stated this when the Gambian President, Adama Barrow paid him a thank you visit in Abuja, stressing that it was important to ensure that Jammeh, who had sought to reverse an electoral defeat was called to order in the interest of multi-party democracy.

“We thank God for the role He used us to play in the Gambia. We believe in multi-party democracy in Africa, it is absolutely necessary…patience on the part of leaders is also necessary in view of ethnic and religious diversities that prevail,” President Buhari said.

Responding, Barrow who took over power in January 2017 after the end of Jammeh’s tenure said his visit was primarily to thank President Buhari for the pivotal role he played during his country’s political turmoil and transition.

President Buhari had led a team ECOWAS mediators to dialogue with Jammeh twice in Banjul. Besides Buhari, the then ECOWAS chairperson, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Sierra Leone’s Ernest Bai Koroma and his Ghanaian counterpart, John Dramani Mahama were part of the team.

They failed to get Jammeh out and resorted to applying the military option as troops were put on stand – by to forcefully oust him. Jammeh, who is currently in exile in Equatorial Guinea was finally talked out of his position by this Guinean and Mauritanian counterpartts, Alpha Conde and Mohammed Ould Abdul Aziz.