ECOWAS Appoints Akufo-Addo to Lead Nigeria Election Mission

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has appointed former Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to lead a 200-member Election Observation Mission for Nigeria's general elections scheduled for January 16, 2027. The announcement was made in a statement from the Office of the Former President on November 12.

The mission aims to monitor the electoral process during the presidential and National Assembly elections, aligning with ECOWAS' regional election observation framework that adheres to democratic governance protocols. The observer mission will consist of representatives from various institutions, including foreign affairs ministries, electoral commissions, and ECOWAS ambassadors in Abuja.

Additionally, members from the ECOWAS Council of the Wise, the ECOWAS Court of Justice, the ECOWAS Parliament, civil society organizations, media practitioners, and electoral experts from the West African region will participate. The deployment will follow the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, adopted in 2001.