The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) says Nigeria must get it right in the 2023 general elections for Africa’s sake.
The Commission said it is concerned as the outcome of the election would have effects on the region and African continent as a whole.
This concern was raised when a delegation of ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact Finding Mission to Nigeria led by Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, former Chairman, the Electoral Commission of Ghana, visited the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, the Director, of Political Affairs, ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Remi Ajibewa, said that they were in Nigeria for fact-finding ahead of the country 2023 general elections in line with ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol 2021 to observe elections in Nigeria.
According to Ajibewa, Article 11, 12 and 13 of the protocol mandated the commission s to deploy an electoral fact-finding mission to every member states of ECOWAS that were about to conduct the election, especially the presidential election.
He said ECOWAS looked forward to successful and credible elections in West African countries, especially Nigeria in 2023, given the leadership role the country plays in the sub-region.
He said, “We all know the importance Nigeria hoods hold, given the fact that, as they used to say, if Nigeria sneezes, the whole of West Africa catches a cold and we don’t pray that will be the result. So, we are here to listen to you, to see the area of challenges that we might also report.”
In his response, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, assured the ECOWAS delegation that Nigeria 2023 general elections will be technology-driven to enhance the success of the election.
“Let me restate the commitment of INEC Nigeria free, fair and credible elections driven by technology. The 2023 general election in Nigeria will be driven by technology not only as a matter of legal requirement, but also as a matter of course, for us in the commission.
“So, I want to ensure the ECOWAS team that we are committed to delivering a credible election in the next four months and a few days, which will be Nigeria’s seventh successive elections, since the restoration of democracy in 1999,” Yakubu said.
