The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, on Monday welcomed a high-level delegation from the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) to Abuja as part of a post-election follow-up and needs assessment mission—two years after Nigeria’s 2023 general elections.

 

Speaking at INEC headquarters, Yakubu commended ECOWAS for its sustained partnership in advancing electoral integrity across West Africa.

 

“It is my pleasure to welcome our guests… who are here to follow up on the implementation of the recommendations made by the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission to the last General Election in Nigeria,” he said.

 

 

 

Leading the mission was Mrs. Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, Chairperson of Liberia’s National Elections Commission, joined by Dr. Bossman Asare, Deputy Chair of the Ghanaian Electoral Commission, alongside other regional and international experts, including representatives from EISA, IDEA, and GIZ.

 

Yakubu revealed that ECOWAS made 37 recommendations after the 2023 elections — 13 of which were directed at INEC, with the remaining 24 meant for other national institutions such as the National Assembly, Police, NBC, NITDA, Civil Society Organisations, NUJ, and political parties.

 

He affirmed that INEC had acted on all administrative-level recommendations, while those requiring legislative changes await action from the National Assembly. The Commission also presented a detailed response to the ECOWAS team, both in hard copy and online.

 

In her remarks, Browne-Lansanah described the mission as a peer review exercise and learning opportunity for all electoral bodies in the region.

 

“We see this mission as a lesson learned — not just for INEC Nigeria, but for our own election management bodies across West Africa,” she said.

 

 

 

She also thanked INEC Nigeria for its support to Liberia, particularly in providing resources to establish a new ICT centre, and praised the Commission’s commitment to regional cooperation.

 

The meeting ended with a shared commitment to strengthening democratic processes through collaboration and mutual learning across West Africa.