A spokesperson for Gambian President Adama Barrow has told IBTimes UK he is not leaving Senegal today (24 January). Halifa Sallah made the comment minutes after a Twitter account purportedly affiliated to Barrow claimed the leader, currently in Senegal's capital Dakar, is preparing to leave for Gambia.

BTimes UK interviews Adama Barrow: I am the rightful leader of this country

More on Gambia

Salla said the account was fake, and the official one is @Barrowofficial1.

"The other one is a false account. There is no official statement at the moment, but I can tell you, for sure, he is not returning today," he said. Other sources close to the President in Dakar also claimed the Twitter account was fake.

One spokesperson based in Senegal told IBTimes UK she was not aware of the tweet and would have to verify its authenticity.

Rumours have swirled in both Dakar and Banjul over Barrow's plans. There has been a great deal of confusion in Senegal and The Gambia regarding the president's possible departure date which has been fueled by misinformation.

While is not clear when the leader will leave, current thinking suggests he may depart as early as Wednesday (25 January). Barrow's top adviser Mai Ahmad Fatty told IBTimes UK: "His excellency wants to go back home as soon possible."

A number of Twitter users have take to social media to question the validity of the fake account '@adama_barrow' which has more than 23,000 followers.

Twitter