APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has deployed 250 observers for the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (ECOWAS-EOM) to the Presidential Election in Nigeria.
According to the statement by the ECOWAS Commission, the observers were deployed on Thursday, February 23, 2023, in Abuja, ahead of the February 25, 2023, presidential elections.
It added that the deployment was part of the ECOWAS electoral support to Member States and was approved Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, the President of the ECOWAS Commission to support and monitor the entire electoral process.
According to the statement, the Observers were drawn from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of ECOWAS Member States, Electoral Commissions, Ambassadors accredited to ECOWAS, the ECOWAS Council of the Wise, the ECOWAS Parliament, the ECOWAS Community Court of justice, Civil Society Organisations, the media and election experts from the region.
While welcoming the observers, Amb. Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, the Commissioner of Political Affairs Peace and Security of the ECOWAS Commission highlighted that the ECOWAS electoral assistance to its Member States finds its justification in ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance of 2001 and the commitment of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government to the timely deployment of Pre-electoral and Observations Missions to Member States organising elections.
In his statement, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, reminded the Observers that they were selected based on integrity and encouraged them to make democracy thrive in the Region through ensuring credible elections. He added that ECOWAS is strongly committed to supporting peaceful elections and good governance in the Region.
The Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission to the Presidential Election in Nigeria, Ernest Bai Koroma, former President of Sierra Leone, reminded the observers that they are supporting Nigeria to have a free fair and credible elections of which the outcome should reflect the will of the people.
President Koroma encouraged the observers to observe the process in accordance with the law of the land and the electoral act.
The observers were deployed to the six geo-political zones of the country. ECOWAS is committed to accompanying the government and people of Nigeria through the presidential elections.
GIK/APA