The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has appointed Nigeria’s immediate past Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, to lead its Election Observation Mission (EOM) to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire ahead of the country’s presidential election scheduled for 25 October.
According to a statement on Sunday by ECOWAS, the mission will be deployed from 19 to 29 October, in accordance with the provisions of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, which mandates the regional body to support member states in ensuring transparent and credible elections.
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The subregional body said Mr Osinbajo will lead a team of eminent West African figures tasked with engaging key national stakeholders, including political actors, civil society groups, and the media, to promote a peaceful, inclusive, and credible electoral process.
The mission, it said, will also collaborate closely with other international and domestic observer groups to ensure a coordinated approach to monitoring the elections.
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It will assess the electoral environment, pre-election preparations, and the conduct of the polls in line with regional and international standards for democratic elections.
ECOWAS said the deployment of the observation team underscores its continued commitment to promoting peace, stability, and credible elections across West Africa, particularly at a time when parts of the region face democratic backsliding and political instability.
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The subregional bloc, which has played a critical role in conflict prevention and democratic consolidation in countries such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria, noted that election observation remains one of its core strategies for sustaining good governance and preventing electoral violence.
ECOWAS and electoral missions
ECOWAS has a long tradition of deploying observer missions to member states during elections as part of its preventive diplomacy and good governance agenda.
These missions typically consist of political figures, electoral experts, and representatives of civil society who assess electoral processes and issue recommendations to strengthen democracy in the region.
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