The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has deployed over 100 observers to Ghana for the December 7 general elections, according to Serigne Mamadou Ka, Head of ECOWAS’ Electoral Assistance Division.
An initial team of 16 long-term observers arrived on November 20, 2024, with 90 short-term observers scheduled to arrive between December 2 and 3. Five core members will operate from Accra, while the rest will monitor all 16 regions.
This announcement came as ECOWAS granted $210,000 to four organizations in Ghana: the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), National Peace Council (NPC), Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), and Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA). The funding supports efforts to ensure peaceful, credible, and transparent elections.
The NCCE received $100,000 for civic and voter education, NPC was granted $50,000 for peace and mediation initiatives, and CDD-Ghana and FOSDA each received $30,000 for election monitoring and violence prevention programs.
The observer mission will be led by former Nigerian Vice-President Nnamadi Sambo, who will arrive alongside the short-term team. “ECOWAS has a history of deploying observers to ensure peaceful and credible elections,” Mr. Ka stated. “We want peaceful elections. At the end of the day, there is only one winner, and the others must follow.”
Ambassador Mohammed Lawan Gana, ECOWAS’ Resident Representative in Ghana, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s democratic process. “So far, so good,” he said, expressing optimism about Ghana’s electoral preparations.
Representatives from the beneficiary organizations, including Lucille Hewlett Annan of the NCCE, thanked ECOWAS for its support, emphasizing its importance in promoting non-violent and transparent elections.
