The deputy spokesman of APRC has claimed that former president Yahya Jammeh will return home before “this year’s rainy season”.

The former president, who has ruled The Gambia with an iron fist for 22 years, is in exile in Equatorial Guinea after he was forced out of office by a military force of the regional bloc, Ecowas following his refusal to handover power after a shock election defeat in 2016.

Jammeh has signalled his intention to return home in a WhatsApp audio that was shared by his APRC party executive last week. In the audio he urged his supporters to rally for his return from exile.

Thousands of his party supporters responded to his call and yesterday took to the street to demand his return.

Dodou Jah who spoke to journalists at the protest at Sukuta traffic light said: “We’re hopeful Jammeh will return as the next rainy season (starts). Because he is a citizen of the country and I don’t see any law that can prevent him from coming back home.

“Unless they change the laws and if such laws are change I don’t think Gambians will accept any law to deprive anyone off his citizenship.

“If people think you’ve committed atrocities and crimes they have all right to channel you through justice. But you cannot say somebody committed a crime and he has to face justice and if you say he is coming home they say no. Is only (in) Gambia I’m seeing that and I wonder why?”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba