PRESS RELEASE
Accra, Ghana 6th December 2024
Heads of International Observation Missions Compare Notes on the Eve of Ghana Elections
Nigeria’s former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, hosted other international observer groups, including the African Union, Commonwealth, the West African Elders’ Forum (WAEF), and the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) Peer Support group, in Accra on Friday, to compare notes on the preparations for Ghana’s Presidential and Parliamentary Elections on Saturday 7th December 2024.
Dr Sambo briefed the guests, including Leonardo Santos Simao, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General-General and Head of the UN Office in West Africa and the Sahel and Representatives of the European Union and civil society group, Yiaga Africa, on the ECOWAS Observation Mission’s activities and consultations with stakeholders.
He expressed the Mission’s optimism about expected peaceful outcome of the elections on Saturday based on Ghana’s exemplary track record since 1992.
In his introductory remarks, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, said the meeting was to ensure that the international observers were on the same page.
The Heads of Missions, including former President of Ethiopia Sahle-Work Zewde (AU), former President of Botswana Eric Masisi (Commonwealth), former Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (WAEF), Mohamed Konneh, ECONEC President and Chair of Sierra Leone Electoral Commission, and Ambassador Aisha Abdullahi, former AU Commissioner for Political Affairs (YIAGA Africa), as well as the EU representatives, took turns to update the meeting on aspects of the electoral process covered by their teams.
Their reports were underpinned by general optimism, while concerns raised by some delegations, related to trust issues with some public institutions, counting of the ballots, collation and general results management.
Also at the meeting were the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission’s Deputy Head of Mission Baboucarr Blaise Jagne, Gambia’s former Foreign Minister, the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Ghana Ambassador Mohamed Gana, the Chair of Nigeria’s Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and his Liberian counterpart Davedatta Browne Lansanah.
Earlier, the ECOWAS Observation Mission was briefed by the Coalition of Domestic Observers (CODEO) Ghana.
The ECOWAS Observation Core Team met last week with officials of the ruling NPP and at a meeting with their main opposition NDC counterparts, on Friday, Dr Sambo appealed to all stakeholders, especially the political parties, the Electoral Commission and security agencies, to exhibit a high sense of patriotism, responsibility and professionalism.
The NDC delegation led by the party’s Secretary General, Dr Bennie Naa Hoffman, said the party’s major concern was results-collation and urged international observers to be watchful.
More than 18.8 million registered voters out of an estimated population of 34.4 million will cast their ballots in more than 40,000 polling stations across 16 regions and 216 districts to choose a new president and 276-seat parliament.
Outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo is not on the ballot, having completed his mandatory two terms. Vice-president Mahamudu Bawumia is the ruling NPP’s presidential candidate, while former President John Mahama is the flag-bearer of the main opposition NDC.
Ghana has had eight unbroken electoral cycles since 1992, with a successful transition and the two parties alternating power on three occasions.
For the first time, the two dominant parties are fielding two candidates from the North, one a Muslim and the other a Christian.
