President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari (R) greets former President of Ghana John Mahama (2nd R) in Abuja on Jan. 9, 2017. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari headed up a delegation to Gambia Friday to offer President Yahya Jammeh asylum if he steps down to allow for a peaceful transfer of power following last month's election. Jammeh, who has ruled the tiny West African country for 22 years, was declared the loser in Gambia’s December 1 election. His government was accused of numerous rights abuses during his time in office, including arbitrary arrests, torture, and forced disappearances. The U.S. State Department Human Rights report said “officials routinely used various methods of intimidation to retain power.” Opposition candidate Adama Barrow, who was declared the winner in the election, said he will continue to plan his inauguration for January 19. Initially, Jammeh accepted the results, but his political party filed a legal complaint against the elect